Armed attackers opened fire at a taxi station in the heart of Johannesburg on Thursday, March 20, resulting in the death of four individuals. This incident is believed by the police to be yet another episode tied to the fierce rivalries among taxi associations.
This assault occurred following a comparable shooting that took place in the Katlehong area, southeast of the city, just a day prior, claiming the lives of three taxi drivers.
According to police reports a vehicle carrying armed assailants arrived at the Jeppestown taxi station early Thursday, March 20, and opened fire. The victims included a taxi driver, a queue marshal, and two street vendors. Additionally, three people—a university student, a taxi driver, and a passenger—sustained injuries in the attack. Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi indicated that the shooting is suspected to be linked to the ongoing taxi-related violence.
On the previous day, March 19, three taxi drivers lost their lives when unidentified shooters attacked a taxi station in Katlehong. In that incident, two passengers were injured, and the police noted that the assailants seemed to target individuals randomly at the scene.
South Africa’s minibus taxi industry, a vital and competitive sector serving millions as their primary means of transport, has a history of lethal conflicts. For decades, assassinations and brutal disputes between opposing taxi factions have been a recurring issue.
The nation grapples with a high rate of homicides, with an estimated daily average of 75 murders, as per police data. However, these statistics do not distinctly reflect deaths connected to the enduring conflicts within the taxi industry.
