Policeman arrested for the murder of taxi official
Cops involvement always suspected
The National Taxi Association (NTA) has called for police officers to be subjected to lifestyle audits following an arrest of a cop for the alleged murder of a taxi association deputy chairman. Simphiwe Kubheka, the Dobsonville, Roodepoort, Leratong, Johannesburg Taxi Association (Dorljota) was shot and killed by two suspects at a taxi rank in Roodepoort on Thursday. One of the suspects is a police officer attached to the Johannesburg Central’s local criminal record centre. NTA’s spokesperson Theo Malele said the involvement of a police officer in Kubheka’s murder did not come as a surprise.
“It’s well known that members of law enforcement agencies have an interest in the taxi industry.
“It is not surprising that a cop was arrested for Mr Kubheka’s murder,” Malele said.
The officer, who cannot be named until he gets formally charged, is expected to appear in the Roodepoort magistrate’s court today. He was arrested a few hours after Kubheka was killed. He and another suspect drove off from the scene and were followed by a taxi driver who alerted the police to their whereabouts. They were cornered in Protea Glen, Soweto, and were arrested. “It’s worrisome that the government hasn’t implemented recommendations from the 2016 taxi summit that retired judges be appointed to investigate these killings,” Malele said. A few hours before Kubheka was murdered, Lawley taxi association’s chairperson was also killed in a hail of bullets in Lenasia south.
Wilson Simelane, 56, was ambushed by three armed suspects who fired several rounds killing him instantly, leaving behind his bulletriddled taxi on the scene. Simelane’s family refused to speak to Sowetan as they said they wished to mourn his death in privacy.
Ralph Jones, the South African National Taxi Council’s spokesperson, said these murders will not stop as investigations are rarely concluded. He described Simelane as a loyal and diligent individual who contributed positively to the taxi industry. “We hope police will make arrests so we can get to the bottom of this.”