A taxi owner was shot and wounded in Centurion. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)
Pretoria - The motive behind the shooting and wounding of a taxi owner in Centurion last week has not yet established, and any links to Pretoria’s taxi violence have not been made yet.
The South African National Taxi Council in Tshwane, said they had no details yet, and, said spokesperson McDonald Makata, he did not have enough details on the shooting but said it was not linked to taxi violence.
He said: “I can only confirm that there was a shooting somewhere in Centurion, and it was not at a rank or in a taxi. It is not something to do with the taxis, if it had happened at a taxi rank or inside a taxi then I would have information to share.”
This after the police reported on the incident which occurred at Centurion Golf Estate on John Vorster Road in Centurion, on Wednesday night just before midnight.
The police said the 56 year-old man and his friend had arrived at the Golf Estate parking area from a restaurant after supper, driving in a red Ferrari.
“It is alleged that a 21-year-old was driving the victim’s vehicle when they arrived at the parking lot.”
“It is further alleged that while the victim got out of the Ferrari to his white Golf R, a white BMW with four African males armed with an AK 47 or R5 drove into the parking area and started shooting directly at the victim.
“A patrolling security officer from Bidvest Protea Coin managed to shoot about 15 rounds back at the accused’s vehicle with his pistol.
“The security officer said he was sure that he shot one of the suspects. About 21 AK 47 or R5 cartridges were found on the scene, and victim was taken to the nearby Unitas Hospital."
The police also said footage of the incident was available. However, the registration number of the car was not clear.
This comes as the city is besieged by a high rate of violence in the taxi industry, which has seen owners, operators, and even commuters, shot at and killed, inside vehicles, at taxi ranks and on the road and at homes.
The numbers, which have also seen a shoot-out between gunmen and the police, caught the attention of the provincial government, and saw the launch of the Gauteng Public Transport Arbitration Office to mitigate against the taxi violence.
Speaking on that, Makata said: “There was an outcry from the taxi industry that the government should assist us. As taxi operators we have to also assist the government, because they have shown interest in helping us to curb taxi violence.”
Pretoria News