Another taxi owner has been fatally shot in Diepkloof, Soweto, in what authorities suspect is the latest episode in the violent turf war between rival taxi associations.
The victim was ambushed Tuesday afternoon while seated in a local barbershop, waiting for a haircut. According to eyewitnesses, three armed men stormed into the salon and opened fire, hitting the man multiple times. One of the barbers, still visibly shaken, recounted the terrifying moments of the shooting.
“They checked his neck for a pulse, and when they found one, they shot him three more times,” the barber revealed. “One of them even pointed a gun at me. I honestly thought I wasn’t going to make it out alive.”
The slain man, whose identity has not yet been made public, was reportedly not a frequent visitor to the salon. While the motive has not been officially confirmed, early indications point to the ongoing battle for control over lucrative taxi routes in the area.
This deadly shooting comes just 24 hours after three taxi marshals affiliated with the Witwatersrand African Taxi Association were ambushed and killed in Mofolo Central, also in Soweto. Witnesses in that incident reported a high-speed pursuit before the attackers opened fire, leaving no survivors.
The surge in violence has intensified fears among Soweto residents and taxi operators alike. Many now say they are living in constant fear, as the rivalry between associations appears to be spiraling further out of control.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Noxolo Kweza has yet to issue an official statement regarding Tuesday’s killing. Investigations into both incidents are ongoing.
