MEC gets tough on taxi killings

TRANSPORT and Public Works MEC Donald Grant says there were only three convictions out of the 134 violent crimes related to the taxi industry over the past year.

He said the rest of the other cases were thrown out of court because of poor investigations or lack of evidence. Grant said 67 of these cases were murders.

This came as at least 10 taxi drivers were killed since Friday.

Rival taxi associations, the Congress of Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) and the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Associations (Cata), believed criminals were behind the killings. The taxi associations were trying to defuse the tension, which took place in Nyanga, Khayelitsha and Wynberg.

The dispute is believed to be over operating routes between the two associations.

An independent inquiry, set up by Grant’s department, has been looking into the violence since Monday.

Grant said the 134 incidents came from a document from his office and was documented before this weekend’s killings.

“There needs to be consequences for people who take the law into their own hands.

“There is organised crime that is behind this,” said Grant.

Codeta spokesperson Besuthu Ndungane said: “There will be no more shootings and deaths. It’s business as usual now. Commuter’s safety is our concern and we assure them they will be safe when travelling in our vehicles.” Cata’s Andile Seyame echoed Ndungane’s comments saying commuters would be able to travel safely.