A violent shooting unfolded at the Mfuleni taxi rank on Friday morning, leaving four people dead and three others injured.
Mfuleni taxi rank: What we know about the shooting
According to police, the attack occurred when gunmen stormed the taxi rank office and opened fire, primarily targeting taxi owners inside.
The incident has shaken the local community, as the taxi rank is a busy place where commuters gather daily to travel to work and school.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos, with people running for their lives as gunfire erupted.
A commuter caught in the crossfire was among those injured.
Three other individuals were seen being carried out on stretchers and rushed to ambulances for emergency treatment.
Emergency services responded quickly, with both police and paramedics arriving at the scene to help the victims and secure the area.
The motive behind the attack is still unknown, and no arrests have been made at the time of publishing.
Police have cordoned off the area and launched an investigation. Western Cape Police Spokesperson Novela Potelwa confirmed the shooting, stating,
“The incident happened this morning, and details are still sketchy, but authorities are on their way to the crime scene.”
One woman shared how her sister narrowly escaped the shooting.
In a message posted online, she wrote:
“This morning I saw a post that there’s a shooting happening in Mfuleni taxi rank and 4 people died and more were injured. Then a few minutes after, my sister texts me that she almost died but she managed to run for her life. Yho haysana, just another day Ekapa.”
The Mfuleni taxi rank is now closed off as detectives work to piece together what happened.
The focus of the investigation includes determining who was behind the attack and whether it was linked to ongoing tensions within the taxi industry.
Violence related to taxi operations is not new in parts of South Africa, where disputes over routes and power struggles within taxi associations can lead to deadly confrontations.
However, police have not yet confirmed if this incident is related to such conflicts.