PIMVILLE – Gauteng MEC for Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela has condemned the violent attack outside Maponya Mall in Soweto on Wednesday that claimed the life of an e-hailing driver.
The driver is said to have been stopping at the entrance when four men approached, opened fire at him before torching his vehicle.
Another driver and a passerby sustained gunshot wounds during the incident.
Diale-Tlabela described the killing as “senseless, unacceptable and a direct threat to the safety and stability of the public transport system.”
“No grievance or commercial dispute justifies the taking of a life or putting innocent people at risk. Violence of this nature undermines public safety, tarnishes the image of our transport sector, and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,” she said.
The MEC has called on police to prioritise the investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
According to police, the attack is believed to be linked to ongoing tensions between e-hailing operators and local taxi associations.
Law enforcement has since been deployed to monitor the area.
Diale-Tlabela urged both e-hailing operators and taxi associations to engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve disputes.
Meanwhile, community members gathered at the scene of the incident, some clutching onto plastic bags - with one man carrying a spade scraping the scattered remnants from the attack.
Speaking on the sidelines, a community member said this was unfair.
"He was not a criminal he was trying to put food on the table," she said as she called on authorities to account for what happened.