Seven people have been killed in two separate shootings in Johannesburg, South Africa, attributed to ongoing rivalries within the taxi industry. On Thursday, armed assailants opened fire at a taxi rank in the city’s Jeppestown area, resulting in the deaths of four individuals, including a taxi driver, a queue marshal, and two hawkers.
This incident followed another shooting on Wednesday at a taxi rank in Katlehong, southeast of the city, where three taxi drivers were killed and two passengers injured. The attacks underline the persistent violence associated with the minibus taxi sector, a primary mode of transportation for many South Africans.
Reasons Behind the Violence
Police have pointed to longstanding rivalries between taxi associations as the motive behind the lethal confrontations, a hallmark of the competitive and lucrative transport industry. South Africa’s high murder rate, averaging 75 killings per day, underscores the frequency of such violent occurrences, although these statistics do not specifically categorize deaths from taxi-related conflicts.
Source: Read more