Growing Concerns Over Taxi Boss Killings in South Africa
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the City of Ekurhuleni has expressed its support for the creation of a dedicated task team to address the rising number of taxi bosses killed in violent incidents linked to the taxi industry. This call comes amid increasing pressure from local officials and community leaders who are demanding a more structured response to the ongoing crisis.
On Saturday, Kenny Kunene, the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for transport in the City of Joburg, urged the formation of a taxi industry killings task team. His remarks were made during the funeral service of Molefe Moekeletsi, a prominent taxi boss from Alexandra who was shot dead in Marlboro last week. The 52-year-old was on his way to work when he was allegedly involved in a taxi-related shooting that also claimed the life of his bodyguard.
Moekeletsi’s funeral took place at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, where he was remembered for his contributions to the taxi industry. He was also the chairperson of the Alexandra Randburg Midrand Sandton Taxi Association (ARMSTA) and had worked closely with the City of Johannesburg to promote the city’s vision of improving public transport through initiatives like the recently launched Alexandra Bus Company rapid bus service.
His death followed that of Thami Moyo, the chairperson of the Gauteng National Taxi Association, who was shot dead over a month ago on the Soweto Highway in Diepkloof. Police believe this was a targeted hit linked to ongoing taxi violence.
Kunene emphasized the need for a dedicated task team to investigate these killings, drawing parallels with the political killings task team (PKTT), which is led by KZN Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. “When politicians die in this country, a political task team is formed, and over R500 million is spent in a year,” he said. “The taxi drivers have been killed for many years. What you hear when you talk to some of the people high up is that they are killing each other.”
He argued that a properly trained police unit should be established to handle these cases. “The biggest problem is that we will never see arrests when taxi drivers are killed. Ntate Moyo was killed, and nothing is happening. But when politicians are killed, they use the power that they have to commit resources to protect themselves,” Kunene added.
Crime activist Yusuf Abramjee endorsed Kunene’s call, stating that such a unit could make a significant difference in addressing taxi violence. “If I am not mistaken, there was such a unit at some stage. Special units can make a difference. With taxi violence so rampant, I believe it would assist,” he said.
Zweli Mnisi, a Santaco spokesperson for Ekurhuleni, echoed these sentiments. “Absolutely, we will support this call. Enough is enough, our fathers, brothers, uncles are dying like flies. It has become unacceptable for this to continue,” he said.
In April, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, the MEC for transport in the province, revealed that taxi-related violence has claimed more than 59 lives. This alarming statistic underscores the urgency of the situation and highlights the need for immediate action to protect those working in the taxi industry.