- A Cape metro police officer has been shot in a taxi related incident in Sweet Home informal settlement.
- The City's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said the officer chased a group of gunmen who shot at taxis along Jakes Gerwel Drive.
- Mayor Dan Plato called on taxi associations to cease ongoing violence and interruptions to public transport.
Cape Town police are probing the death of a Metro Police officer who was injured during a taxi-related incident in Sweet Home informal settlement.
The City of Cape Town's Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said the incident occurred while Metro Police and SAPS officers were chasing a group of suspects who had shot at taxis in Jakes Gerwel Drive.
He said:
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said Samora Michel police were investigating the attack.
"A 44-year-old male sustained gunshot wounds to his body when suspects he was chasing fired at him. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention," Swartbooi said.
Police are still searching for the suspects.
Mayor Dan Plato called on taxi associations to cease ongoing violence and interruptions to public transport.
He said:
He added that the safety of commuters was critical and warned that the City would not allow conflict between taxi associations to put additional strain on residents who have already been impacted by Covid-19.
Smith said that, in conjunction with the police, the City's law enforcement services increased patrols in areas that could be considered hotspots in the ongoing taxi warfare.
He added that the City's Traffic Service and Transport Enforcement Unit set up a checkpoint at the station deck in the City Bowl, after a shooting incident was reported there on Wednesday morning.
Not linked to 'unrest'
"The City is aware that the Western Cape transport department has been engaging taxi organisations in a bid to stop the violence, and we urge operators to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through dialogue and not random shootings."
Smith warned that the attacks put strain on enforcement resources, and said they also put innocent lives at risk and inconvenienced commuters.
Smith added:
He said authorities were aware of an incident on Tuesday night in which a small group of people attempted to gain entry into a local shopping complex in Khayelitsha.
Last week, the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) signed a peace agreement to end the violence.
The latest shooting comes days ahead of the threatened closure of some taxi routes due to relentless attacks in which 76 people have been killed since January.