During a haircut when a taxi owner was shot and killed in Diepkloof on Tuesday afternoon, police suspected it might be an incident related to the ongoing turf war between the region’s rival Taxi Association.
The bold attack took place in the local barber shop. According to a witness, three armed personnel entered the salon and opened fire on the victim, who sat and waited for a haircut. A apparently shaking barber escapes the shooting, telling the terrifying ordeal, saying he did not initially see the gunman enter, but was shocked by the sound of the gunshots.
“They checked for a pulse in his neck and when they found one, they shot him three times again,” the barber said. “I was lucky to be alive. One of the two pointed the gun at me after the fire. I never thought I would be alive and told this story.”
The victim’s identity has not been released yet and is reportedly not a regular customer of the salon. While the motive for the killing is still under investigation, an anonymous officer shows that it may be related to violent clashes between competing taxi groups rather than controlling Soweto’s route.
The latest incident happened the next day, with three taxi marshals associated with the Witwatersland African Taxi Association ambushing and killing in central Moforo in Soweto. Witnesses described a high-speed chase before the suspect opened fire to ensure that no victim survived.
The surge in violence has increased fear among residents and taxi industry workers, and many are now worried about their safety, which seems to be a deteriorating conflict.
Gauteng Police spokesman Colonel Noxolo Kweza did not immediately comment on the latest killings. Police are investigating.
