WC govt to take tough action if latest taxi shooting is linked to contested routes

Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku said tough action will be taken should the latest taxi shooting incident be linked to the contested routes in the Somerset West area.

The Cape Town Taxi Association (CATA) taxi businessman, Mzukisi Zwakala, was shot and killed in Lwandle on Monday.

It's not clear if his murder is linked to tensions between CATA and rivals CODETA, the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association, over routes in the Somerset West area.

Last week, a 30-day closure of routes between Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, and Somerset West, which were implemented due to taxi-related violence was lifted.

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Provincial Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku said he's waiting to hear from the police about whether the latest murder is related to reopening of the routes or not, and if it's linked, he'll take decisive steps.

CATA spokesperson Nkululeko Sityebi said the police must do a thorough investigation to avoid speculation.

"Those are the people that have been trained to investigate, arrest, and send people to be prosecuted. Assumptions are very dangerous; you are going to assume that is someone else or something else and which is not true. So, let's rather wait for the police to do a proper job so we can't do the assumptions."

Both Sileku and CATA have condemned the recent taxi-related shootings and will monitor the situation closely.