Taxi association boss shot; members wonder who’s next

ANOTHER alleged hit in the taxi industry has left the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) fearing “who might be next on the list”.

Cata chairperson Elliot Ludziya, 38, was shot eight times outside his home in Strand on Thursday night. His son shot back at the gunmen.

Ludziya had been attacked after he was allegedly warned not to return from the Eastern Cape.

He was set to be replaced as chairperson of Cata’s Lwandle branch at its next executive committee election.

According to the association, the election “will have to be put on hold as we try and figure out what is going on here with all these shootings”.

Ludziya and his family returned home when gunmen in a car shot at him.

Family members, who did not want to be identified in the event the gunmen “come back to finish off what they started”, said they might have been followed home.

“It’s as if they knew exactly where we were and when because they were right behind us. He (Ludziya) was offloading our luggage when they started shooting. We don’t know what the shooting was about, though,” said a family member.

Police spokesperson Sinathi Joni said a 22-year-old suspect had been arrested. He was “due to make a court appearance once charged”.

“It (the shootings) would be understandable if we were involved in a war about routes, but there has been nothing of the sort. We are struggling to understand what these hits are in relation to,” said a Cata member, who did not want to be named.

Cata’s provincial treasurer survived a shooting last Saturday. Joni said an attempted murder case had been opened.

In an unrelated incident, two petrol attendants in Bishop Lavis were shot and killed by three unidentified gunmen. Two others were hospitalised.

Police are investigating a case of double murder, said spokesperson Samantha Adonis.