A breakthrough in resolving Western Cape taxi violence — in which two more commuters were wounded on Thursday — has been achieved, the provincial transport department confirmed.
”Progress has been made,” said departmental spokesperson Themba Nobatana.
He said provincial transport minister Mcebisi Skwatsha will address a media briefing with the leaders of the warring taxi groups, the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta), on Friday.
The two rival organisations have been waging a low-intensity campaign of violence and intimidation, which has claimed the lives of at least four people. Several others have been wounded.
On Thursday morning at about 5.30am, two commuters were wounded when shots were fired at the Site C taxi rank in Khayelitsha.
A taxi driver sustained a bullet wound to his shoulder and a woman passenger was wounded in the side, Superintendent Billy Jones said.
Jones said both were taken to hospital. Their condition is stable.
Nobody has been arrested for the incident, and police are investigating cases of attempted murder.
”We are definitely looking at the possibility that it is linked to the taxi conflict,” he said.
Commuters, drivers and taxi operators have been running the gauntlet by travelling by taxi after the violence started a few months ago.
Cata and Codeta have been at each other’s throats over disputed access to taxi routes, particularly in the Brackenfell and Kraaifontein area of Cape Town.
The provincial government intervened, with an emergency proclamation closing the Bellville, Kraaifontein and Brackenfell taxi ranks since Tuesday. — Sapa