Diale-Tlabela visited Maponya Mall this morning in a bid to resolve tensions between the community, taxi drivers and e-hailing operators.

Last week, an e-hailing driver was shot dead, while two others sustained injuries. The local community blockaded entrances into the mall, which resulted in the closure of the mall.

The e-hailing driver, Mthokozisi Mvelase, 27, was killed while stationed at what is believed to be a pickup point at the mall, and that sparked violence in the vicinity of the mall. It is understood that Mvelase had just joined the e-hailing service.

Diale-Tlabela’s visit was part of the her ongoing efforts to address tensions within the public transport sector, engage directly with affected stakeholders and assess the situation on the ground.

The MEC also interacted with the mall management and taxi operators.

“[We would like] to say to people of Soweto and the people of Gauteng that we now have things under control and we just met with the Soweto e-hailers’ organisation. Calm has been restored and the mall management has agreed to [re-open],” Diale-Tlabela said.

Additional law enforcement personnel are on the ground.

Diale-Tlabela said they are working with law enforcement to ensure that people are safe.

She said lawlessness will not be tolerated.

“Let’s allow business to continue and allow other members of the community to have access to the services they so much need,” she said.

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Mr Selamolela condemned the alleged shooting that claimed the lives of two e-hailing drivers and the burning of vehicles at Maponya Mall in Soweto. “We expect members of taxi associations to conduct themselves as responsible, law-abiding citizens. Incidents like the one on Wednesday fuel stereotypes portraying the minibus-taxi industry as unruly and criminal,” he said.

He urged operators to uphold standards befitting a multibillion-rand industry and to maintain its viability and sustainability. Associations, he added, should engage constructively with other role players in the transport sector, rather than allowing individual owners or operators to resort to violence in disputes.

According to media reports, taxi operators and e-hailing drivers were involved in a confrontation at Maponya Mall during which firearms were allegedly discharged, resulting in fatalities. Mr Selamolela described the incident as regrettable, particularly at a time when government efforts, under the leadership of Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa, are focused on reforming and improving the minibus-taxi industry.

“E-hailing services meet a specific market demand; they are not intended to replace traditional taxi operations. There is no justification for conflict. This is the message that must be communicated clearly throughout the associations,” Mr Selamolela said.

He emphasised that commuters should be free to choose the transport services they prefer. “Taxi operations are an enduring feature of South African public transport. There is no need for operators to feel insecure about their businesses. The 7th administration maintains an open-door policy, and we encourage operators to bring their concerns directly to the committee,” he concluded.

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In the first homestead, four people were shot and killed, with no survivors. At the second homestead, there were nineteen people shot in two different houses, with thirteen killed. The six survivors include four women and a two-month-old baby.

However, on Sunday 29 September, police confirmed the 18^th victim had died in hospital. South African Police Service (SAPS) National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola has vowed that police “will leave no stone unturned in solving cases and hunting down perpetrators.”

With the investigation still ongoing, it is currently unclear what the motive is. Community members revealed that the family had all gathered at the homestead to hold a ceremony, marking the end of a period of mourning for two family members killed in a separate shooting a year earlier.

The National Commissioner has mobilised maximum resources to ensure these killers are found, the SAPS said. The Commissioner has deployed a dedicated team of detectives and forensic experts, which include crime scene managers, from Pretoria to piece all evidence together in a bid to apprehend the criminals.

“We have full faith and confidence in the team that has been deployed to crack this case and find these criminals,” said the commissioner. He further added, “either they hand themselves over or we will fetch them ourselves.”

The Commissioner urged community members to work closely with police “in sharing information and providing tip-offs to ensure that collectively, we [can] create safer communities.”

“We urge our men and women in blue to continue to assert the authority of the state for the benefit of our communities,” said the Commissioner.

The shooting came a day after Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu was in Gqeberha for the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, and the SAPS. “This agreement marks a critical milestone in our collective effort to enhance safety and security in our communities,” noted the Minister.

“Unfortunately, for too many of our citizens in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, the reality is that they do not feel safe,” said the Minister, adding that “it is unacceptable that Gqeberha, the heart of this metro, has earned the tragic distinction of being ranked 9th among the murder capitals of the world.”

“These are not just statistics, each number represents a life lost, a family devastated, and a community shaken. We owe it to the people of this region, and indeed the nation, to reverse this tide of violence,” said the Minister.

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Police were tracing the suspects, allegedly linked to the shooting of five people on Siyaphambili Road in Tshelimnyama, Mariannhill, on Sunday night. Five men were seated on the side of the road drinking alcohol when the suspects arrived in a vehicle armed with pistols and a rifle and ordered the victims to lie down before shooting them.

Police followed information regarding the suspects, who were believed to be hiding in Newlands East. Upon arrival, further intelligence established that the suspects were in a rented holiday apartment on South Beach Avenue in the Point area of Durban, the SAPS said. When police announced their presence, the suspects opened fire, and a shootout ensued. All six suspects were shot and fatally wounded during the shootout, with no police officers sustaining any injuries.

The suspects are allegedly further linked to a triple murder, where three men were shot and killed near a tuckshop on the Minitown main road in Mpumalanga township, in Hammersdale on Friday afternoon. They are also believed to be responsible for a Friday evening robbery at a shop on the ground floor of the apartment building they were found in. Police further believe the suspects were involved in the illicit drug trade.

Prior to a search of the apartment, police found three firearms, which will be subjected to ballistic testing to ascertain if they are linked to other crimes. Police are investigating the person who booked the room for the suspects.

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ALS Paramedics spokesman Garrith Jamieson said the shooting occurred on Rick Turner Road.

“Around 11:20am this morning ALS Paramedics received numerous call for medical assistance at a shooting incident on Rick Turner Rd near Queen Mary Avenue. Paramedics arrived on the scene to find South African Police Service (SAPS) and security personnel on the scene with the scene cordoned off.”

“Paramedics were shown to a security officer believed to be in his thirties who was in a critical condition having sustained a gunshot wound to his upper body. Advanced Life Support Paramedics worked to stabilise the man on the scene before he rushed to a nearby Hospital for the urgent care that he required,” he said

Jamieson said it was alleged that suspects robbed the guard of money however SAPS were on the scene and will be investigating further.

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