Cape Town - The Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) has made the shocking allegation that its own members were behind the murder of training officer, Charmaine Bailey, and that they have since expelled the members, who are suspected of killing two more drivers.
Bailey, 53, was the spokesperson for the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association, a training officer for the Cata Regional Taxi Council and a chairperson of the Wynberg Taxi Association.
She was gunned down on May 2 during a meeting in Wynberg.
Cata spokesperson Nkululeko Sityebi explained that after their own investigation, they found the culprits and expelled them, following which two drivers were shot and another managed to escape unharmed.
On Tuesday, two weeks after the murder of Bailey, a Cata taxi driver was shot and killed in Samora Machel.
The 33-year-old man was shot once in the head. He died on the scene and still had all his belongings.
“After Charmaine’s killing we took actions and practised Cata’s constitution and expelled those members who were involved in the murder.
“Two drivers were shot, one survived and then on Tuesday we were informed of another murder and now we are not sure if they were shot by the expelled members or not.
“The expelled members who were involved in Bailey’s murder were told that we are sticking to the constitution, that any member who is involved in killings will be expelled, and then we had murders.
“We suspect that they are behind this on that basis and we informed the police, City and provincial government,” he said, without disclosing the identities of the ex-members.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk explained: “Samora Machel police are investigating a murder case following a shooting incident at about 6.10am in Kosovo, Oliver Tambo Drive, where a 33-year-old man was shot and fatally wounded.
“According to reports, SAPS members received a complaint at the above-mentioned address.
“On their arrival at the scene, they saw a taxi, and inside the taxi on the driver’s seat there was a male lying deceased inside the taxi with a gunshot wound to his head.
“The deceased still had all his belongings. The circumstances surrounding this shooting incident are under investigation,” he said.
Van Wyk also said they were following leads in the Bailey murder, but that the motive remained unclear.
“Provincial detectives are investigating all links regarding the recent taxi-related murders as well as intra-organisational conflict within one taxi association. The matter is still under way and no one has been arrested as yet,” he said.
MEC of Mobility Ricardo MacKenzie confirmed that they were invited to a meeting by Cata about the Bailey hit and that a joint investigation would be launched.
“I can confirm that the Cata leadership requested a meeting with the Western Cape Mobility Department, who ensured that SAPS and the City of Cape Town also attended the meeting,” he said.
Anyone with information about this fatal shooting incident is requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.