Western Cape Transport MEC Daylin Mitchell has condemned the latest taxi violence-related shooting in Ceres which claimed the lives of five men on Tuesday.
Five taxi operators, who are thought to be affiliated to the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA), were shot and killed at the Vredebes Taxi Rank near Nduli.
The shooting brings the total number of taxi-related murders in the province to 45 since the start of the year, with attempted murders and injuries at 19 over the same period.
Mitchell says he will approach provincial authorities about the possibility of putting up a reward for information to assist the police in their investigation.
“I strongly condemn these killings and the safety of citizens who use public transport especially mini-bus taxis to commute to and from work is my prime consideration. I will therefore take whatever steps available to me within my mandate to ensure that public transport commuters are safe,” adds Mitchell.
Taxi industry killings on the rise:
Meanwhile, in April, the Western Cape Transport Department called for calm in the taxi industry, following the murder of the chairperson of the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association Victor Wiwi.
He was gunned down when he was with a colleague near Nyanga.
Wiwi was shot when he was returning from a meeting out of town where he had intervened in a dispute between taxi associations.
