[imagesource: Natalie Malgas]

Things may be calming down in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, with regards to the violence and looting, but here in Cape Town, it’s a quite different story.

Taxi violence has gripped the city, with a Golden Arrow bus driver shot in the mouth near Borcherds Quarry yesterday, as well as two gunmen opening fire on passing cars near the Langa taxi rank.

Two men were arrested for that shooting, but no arrests have yet been made in connection with the shot bus driver.

Since the start of the year, at least 82 people have been murdered in Western Cape taxi violence.

Golden Arrow has now stated that normal service will not be possible today, reports News24:

In a statement, Golden Arrow Bus Service said: “Our drivers are scared and many of them are not willing to get behind the wheel and we understand this.

“This means that we have no idea what operations tomorrow will look like and unfortunately it is impossible to predict which routes and times will be affected.”

This would be the perfect time for Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula (who goes by the sadly ironic Mr Fix on Twitter) to finally earn his salary, but we’ve long given up hope on that front.

Two videos shared yesterday give us some insight into how dire the situation is.

This, from Langa:

Situation right now kwa Langa#CapeTownTaxiViolence pic.twitter.com/PtxSv5UcTu

— MaAfrika🇿🇦 (@ZSholoko) July 19, 2021

At the Cape Town Bus Terminus, it was total chaos:

Situation right now @#CapeTownBusTerminus it’s so sad 💔💔 Kuyabanda#CapeTownTaxiViolence#CapeTown pic.twitter.com/DYSIwUXBrQ

— MaAfrika🇿🇦 (@ZSholoko) July 19, 2021

A full day’s work, and that is what awaits you when you try to return home.

The Golden Arrow shooting yesterday follows on from Friday, when two drivers were shot in the leg as they entered Samora Machel.

Last week, three men believed to be taxi hitmen were arrested, with their car found to contain firearms, as well as rounds of ammunition.

Below via The Sowetan:

Police sources who have conducted successful taxi violence investigations in the past said some assassins were from the Eastern Cape, had a criminal history and had spent time in jail where they were recruited into the numbers gangs including the 28s.

A source said the hiring of numbers gang members to carry out hits indicated a relationship between taxi bosses and gang bosses at some of SA’s biggest crime outfits.

Commuters have also been deliberately targeted in recent shootings as the taxi associations Codeta and Cata appear to be deploying terror tactics in their attempts to subdue one another.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde held talks last night with the City of Cape Town and Transport MEC Daylin Mitchell, adding that certain roads and disputed routes could be closed in order to clamp down on the criminality.

If you work with, or employ, somebody who relies on bus or train transport to get to work, this would be a good time to try and arrange alternate means of transport.

People will be late, or unable to get to work at all, through no fault of their own.

[sources:news24&sowetan]