Cape Town – Police are reportedly pursuing an investigation into the killing of a British citizen, which is suspected to be connected to the ongoing taxi strike in Cape Town.
The British national, 40, was killed in a shooting in Nyanga last week on Thursday.
According to News24, two other people and an infant who were with him at the time were taken to hospital for treatment for shock, police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said.
The strike was initiated by taxi operators and drivers protesting the impoundment of their vehicles by the City of Cape Town and has led to violence, including attacks on vehicles and buses.
ALSO READ | Taxi strike enters eighth day as Santaco seeks urgent court action over impounded vehicles
Several other people have been killed during the strike, including a Law Enforcement Advancement Plan officer and a man in Mfuleni.
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) is in negotiations with authorities over the impoundment legislation, with the City of Cape Town facing criticism for imposing sanctions not supported by national law.
The City of Cape Town’s executive mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, has announced that several thousand minibus taxis have been impounded and will only be released once the prescribed impoundment fees are paid.
Speaking during an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Hill-Lewis he would consider releasing taxis if evidence of unfair impoundments is provided by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco).
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis tells @XoliMngambi that the city will not release any impounded vehicle despite Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga’s order that impounded minibus taxis be released without condition.
Watch: https://t.co/hXo8TaOyZo#Newzroom405 #TaxiStrike pic.twitter.com/wqCQ0IDsUy
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) August 9, 2023
“We will not release them. They will be released when the impoundment fee is paid. What I said is that if Santaco brings me examples of what they claim are examples of malicious or overzealous impoundments, then I will look at those examples and if we agree together that this is in fact an officer that has gone out out of bounds then I will absolutely work to release those.
“But I trust the professionalism of our officers and I think that they do a great job and I suspect we will find very, very few of those out of the many thousands of the impoundments that we have done,” the mayor said.
He said that the impoundment fees vary, with around R6 000 being required for a first impoundment and higher fees for repeat offenses.
“Some of these vehicles have been impounded several times because they are not roadworthy, they are dangerous, they have smooth tyres – whatever the case is,” said Hill-Lewis.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
