Pretoria – A taxi driver was gunned down in a drive-by shooting on the R72 near Chalumna in the Eastern Cape police said on Thursday.
At the scene, police found a 60-year-old driver of a white Toyota Quantum sustained several gunshot wounds to the upper body and was declared dead.
“Two unknown female passengers were rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds. The details about the incident are sketchy. However, it is said that a white Toyota Corolla with three occupants was involved in the shooting incident,” police said in a statement.
The shooting comes after the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), in January, called for peace following the recent spate of killings of taxi owners.
Santaco spokesperson Sifiso Shangase said the taxi association was alarmed by the rise in the number of murders.
Earlier in the year, a 69-year-old taxi owner was shot dead in Gopalall Hurbans Road in the oThongathi CBD.
Prior to that, a 52-year-old taxi owner was shot dead in front of his family in Cornubia, north of Durban.
Police are appealing to anyone who can assist with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact the nearest police station.
The information may also be shared via Crime Stop on 08600 10111. All information is confidential and callers may remain anonymous.
IOL