By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
SA Police Services (SAPS) have confirmed one person has been declared dead and two injured after e-hailing vehicles were attacked by unknown suspects at Maponya Mall on Wednesday.
The incident has been linked to a long-standing feud between e-hailing drivers and local taxi operators.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi says, unknown suspects are said to have approached the driver of an e-hailing vehicle and shot him before setting the car alight.
“An ehailing vehicle was seen stopping at the entrance when about four men approached the driver and shot at him before torching the vehicle. Another vehicle which was nearby was shot at and the driver managed to flee and his vehicle was also torched. It was later discovered that the driver and another passerby sustain gun shot wounds and were taken to hospital.”
Nevhuhulwi said a case of murder, attempted murder with two counts, and arson has been opened for further investigations.
“The SAPS and JMPD are on the scene to monitor the situation. The incident is suspected to be taxi violence related,” she said.
Several summits and indabas have been arranged to solve the warfare in the transport sector in Gauteng. A 2019 summit concluded with a commitment to peace, but a permanent solution to the matter remains elusive.
Regulation in the taxi and e-hailing sectors has been a major issue, which was also broadly dealt with by the Taxi Violence Commission and in its report, released in February 2021.
Both the taxi industry and e-hailing drivers have complained about the lack of regulation in the e-hailing sector. In March 2022, e-hailing operators went on a three-day strike over the government’s failure to regulate the industry, as well as low wages and safety issues.
The long-awaited National Land Transport Amendment Bill, which aims to regulate the e-hailing industry, is yet to be enacted into law. Parliament has passed the bill and sent it to President Cyril Ramaphosa for approval following its tabling before Parliament in April 2016.