Taxi killings: MEC promises 24/7 police
Willies Mchunu Willies Mchunu
SLINDILE MALULEKA
KWAZULU-Natal Transport and Community Safety and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu has called for heavy police presence in Hammarsdale after the murder of two members of the Mpumalanga Taxi Association earlier this week.
He attended a meeting at the Hammarsdale taxi rank yesterday to hear the association’s grievances.
Many have refused to continue operating, saying they feared for their lives after the shooting.
On Tuesday, two members of the association, aged 35 and 50, were shot by two unknown men. Police still do not have the names of the men who were killed.
Mchunu’s spokesman, Kwanele Ncalane, said taxis had been operating early yesterday but by midday members refused to continue.
“The MEC encouraged them to continue taxi operations in the area and also promised them a 24-hour police visibility because they were concerned about their safety,” he said.
Ncalane said police would patrol the area until the situation had returned to normal.
Today, Mchunu is to meet with the taxi operators to pave a way forward.
“There have been killings in that taxi association in the past. A mediator was appointed to look into the matter and in a report presented to the MEC, the mediator found that there were tensions within the association. The association has two factions,” Ncalane said.
“We are hoping that the meeting will bring closure to the dispute.”