Third police taxi shooting in two months
“We were chased by police. They thought we were robbers who apparently robbed an American Swiss in Paarl Mall.”
|||Cape Town - A taxi transporting workers from Paarl was allegedly shot at by police on the N1 earlier this week. This is the third such shooting in two months, with three commuters shot dead and several others wounded in two previous incidents.
One of the passengers in the taxi involved in the most recent incident on Tuesday night, Julia van der Vent, posted on Facebook: “Yesterday we were chased by police flying squad they thought we were the robbers who apparently robbed an American Swiss in Paarl Mall.
“We were traumatised by the ordeal after two shots were fired and we were stopped under (sic) heavily armed policeman (sic), only for them to realise we were normal citizens on our way to earn our daily bread. Not at all ayoba!!!.”
Police spokeswoman Constable Noloyiso Rwexana said this morning the circumstances of the incident were being investigated and a case of pointing a firearm registered against the police officers.
Rwexana added that the driver of the Quantum taxi was also being investigated and faced charges of reckless and negligent driving and failure to obey an instruction from a police officer.
Last month, police allegedly opened fire on a taxi transporting Nando’s staff home in Dunoon, killing Nandipha Fudumele and injuring another woman. Police told the shocked occupants they thought the taxi was the same one that had been used during an ATM bombing earlier in the day.
Earlier this month, police again allegedly opened fire on a taxi, this time transporting McDonald’s staff home in Kuils River. Two people were killed and others were injured in the shooting.
Police claimed they had mistaken the taxi for one used in a robbery at a petrol filling station. Xolani Skota, whose sister Noxolo Skota, died in the Kuils River shooting, said on Thursday morning all the family had received from the police was an apology, which was only made last week.
“Police only came last week to apologise about what happened and they promised to help with the funeral arrangements.”
However, Skota said, they had buried his sister on Saturday and nothing had come of the police’s promise to help them. “We don’t know anything about the case, no one updates us,” he added.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesman Robbie Raburabu said following the latest shooting, police alleged they had been trying to stop the taxi, which had tinted windows, but it wouldn’t stop, so they fired warning shots. ”We are investigating the circumstances around the shooting.”
Speaking about the incident involving Nando’s staff, Raburabu said the investigation had been completed but the technical report was still outstanding. He added that statements concerning the shooting of McDonald’s staff were also being awaited.
siyabonga.kalipa@inl.co.za
Cape Argus