Gauteng legislature urges urgent action on escalating taxi violence

Gauteng legislature urges urgent action on escalating taxi violence! The Gauteng Legislature’s Community Safety Committee has called on the provincial government to urgently prioritise interventions to curb the rising tide of taxi-related violence in the province. The appeal comes in the wake of yet another tragic incident involving the murder of three taxi marshals in Soweto, highlighting the persistent threat posed by violence in the public transport sector.

Triple Murder in Mofolo Sparks Outrage

On Monday morning, residents of Mofolo, Soweto, awoke to news that three taxi marshals had been gunned down while reporting for duty. The cold-blooded shooting has sent shockwaves across the province and rekindled widespread concerns about the safety of both commuters and workers in the taxi industry.

The victims, who were performing their routine responsibilities in one of the area’s busiest taxi hubs, were shot by unknown assailants. While police continue to investigate the motive, the incident appears to be linked to ongoing conflicts between rival taxi associations or internal disputes within associations themselves—common triggers of violence in the sector.

Escalating taxi violence

Calls for Increased Policing and Investigations

Gauteng Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela condemned the killings in a statement, calling them “senseless acts of violence that threaten the well-being of communities across the province.”

She reiterated that the government would not tolerate the use of violence as a means to settle disputes within the industry. “No disagreement can ever justify the shedding of blood,” Tlabela said.

Meanwhile, the Community Safety Portfolio Committee, chaired by Bandile Masuku, has demanded that the South African Police Service (SAPS) ramp up its response. Masuku said that visible policing, intelligence-led operations, and swift arrests are now more critical than ever.

“The committee strongly condemns these killings and calls for Gauteng SAPS to intensify visible policing, conduct intelligence-led operations, and make swift arrests to dismantle the criminal elements fuelling this violence,” Masuku stated.

A Pattern of Violence in Gauteng

This latest incident is far from isolated. According to the committee, more than 10 people were killed in March alone in Katlehong, east of Johannesburg, in similar acts of taxi-related violence. These figures, they say, are indicative of a disturbing trend that requires urgent and coordinated intervention.

In many of these cases, the perpetrators remain at large, contributing to a growing sense of impunity and fear in affected communities. Commuters, drivers, and marshals alike are often caught in the crossfire of feuds that span years and are frequently rooted in competition over routes and control of taxi ranks.

Demand for Accountability and Transparency

In response to these escalating incidents, the committee has also submitted a formal request to the provincial police commissioner for a comprehensive update on investigations into all taxi-related killings in the province. The committee says accountability and transparency are key to regaining public trust and achieving justice for the families of the victims.

“We want a detailed progress report to understand how far investigations have come and what’s being done to hold the perpetrators accountable,” said Masuku.

Toward a Long-Term Solution

While the immediate focus is on law enforcement and arrests, there are growing calls for a multi-stakeholder approach to resolving the deep-rooted issues within the taxi industry. Analysts and civil society groups argue that peace accords, better regulation, and formalisation of the sector must accompany any policing efforts.

The Gauteng government, in collaboration with national authorities and taxi associations, is expected to convene an emergency summit in the coming weeks to address the issue head-on and develop a long-term strategy for safety and sustainability in the sector.

Conclusion

As the death toll continues to rise, the call for meaningful action grows louder. For the families of the victims, justice cannot come soon enough. And for Gauteng’s commuters, safe and reliable public transport remains a right—not a luxury.