The Taxify driver whose body was found with two gunshot wounds in Protea Glen on Thursday has been identified as 44-year-old Ezekiel "Heavy" Sekati.
Earlier on Friday police spokesperson Captain Hector Netshivhodza told News24 that a case of murder and damage to property was being investigated after Sekati's torched vehicle was found 8km away in Snake Park on Thursday.
"The driver's relatives filed a missing persons report [on Wednesday] night, but because the body was found in a different jurisdiction we didn't know the car and the body were connected," he said.
In a statement, Taxify said Sekati was a valued member of its driver family.
"Every person living in South Africa has a right to feel safe, whether it is at home, at school or at work, and Taxify condemns this cold-hearted action.
"Our deepest condolences go out to Ezekiel's family and loved ones during this very difficult time," said the company.
A high priority team will be working with the police to establish the motive behind the attack and the identity of Sekati's killers.
"In line with Taxify's commitment to driver safety, we recently partnered with Namola, giving our drivers access to emergency services through the use of an in-app safety button that allows them to share their location with the SAPS, so help can find them without the need of a phone call."
Links to ongoing violence unclear
Taxify urged anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of suspects to contact Protea Glen police on 011 986 9272.
In March, the body of Taxify driver Langelihle Ngcobo was found in the boot of a burnt Chevrolet Aveo in Sunnyside.
Shortly after his death officers from the Joburg Metro Police Department, the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department and officials from the Gauteng department of community safety briefed the Gauteng legislature's committee on roads and transport on plans to deal with violence between taxi drivers.
During that briefing, department of community safety's Xolisa Mdigwane explained how the war began.
"The reason that the violence between the Uber and the metered taxi drivers flared up [was that] metered taxi drivers felt that government favoured Uber over them. They felt that there was this big monster that was coming to take away their livelihoods."
It is unclear whether Sekati's death was linked to the ongoing taxi violence between app-based taxi service and metered taxi drivers.