Taxi Driver Shoots Man in Full View of Passengers in Gauteng, Arrested With the Full Load by Police
- A taxi driver was arrested for attempted murder by the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department in Germiston
- The taxi driver had stopped to shoot a man with whom he had a longstanding disagreement before fleeing the scene
- A passing motorist, who witnessed the incident, flagged officers in the vicinity down and notified them of what he had seen
- South Africans berated the lawlessness in the country, with others pessimistic that there might be justice for the victim
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GERMISTON - A Toyota Quantum taxi driver was arrested in Germiston, Ekurhuleni, after he allegedly stopped his vehicle to shoot a man, with whom he'd had an old disagreement, in full view of passengers on Saturday.
News24 reported that after shooting his nemesis, he continued to transport the passengers, dropping off each one at their required destination.
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Source: Getty Images
The Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Kelebogile Thepa, said officers who were in the vicinity were notified of the incident by a passing motorist.
"They made their way to the scene, after which a chase ensued and officers managed to stop the driver on the side of the N17 freeway. There were 14 passengers on board," Thepa said.
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"The driver was ordered to disembark from the taxi while showing his hands. The suspect was placed under arrest and disarmed. A 9mm Browning pistol with 12 live rounds of ammunition, was recovered."
Suspect admits to shooting
Briefly News understands the driver confessed to the alleged shooting. The suspect explained the incident was sparked by an altercation between himself and the victim dating some time back.
"According to the suspect, he fired a warning shot first and hit the victim, 32, when he fired his gun a second time. The wounded man was taken to the hospital for further medical attention," Thepa added.
The taxi driver will appear in the Germiston Magistrate's Court on Monday on a charge of attempted murder. Meanwhile, police arrested a 32-year-old taxi driver after he fired shots in Johannesburg CBD early in December, IOL reported.
While on a crime prevention operation, police heard two gunshots being fired. On arrival at the scene of the shooting, officers spotted a man attempting to hide what they later established was an illegal handgun.
"Officers recovered a firearm and live ammunition after searching the suspect, who was unable to prove his ownership of the firearm. He will also be charged for discharging a firearm in a municipal area," said Johannesburg Central police spokesperson, Captain Xoli Mbele.
Locals slam state of lawlessness
On social media, locals aired their two cents' around the incident, with many slamming the lawlessness in South Africa. Briefly News takes a look at some of the reactions below.
@Johnny Sebothuma
"That's lawless South Africa for you, and guess what, he will carry on and live to tell the tale and brag about the evil he did and his followers will praise him forgetting that one day one of their families might be the victim from the same mad taxi driver."
@Mihlonti Mokoena said:
"South African Minister of Transport is scared to death of taxi drivers. They shoot people like they are shooting birds."
@Maboi Phalane added:
"Okay, I get it now. I saw police handcuffing a taxi driver on the N17 highway today. The taxi driver was on the ground. I wondered what had happened to him. He violated the law. Let us hope that justice is served to his victim."
4 Alleged armed robbers killed in heavy gunfight
Elsewhere, Briefly News recently reported that a high-speed car chase ended with police killing four alleged armed suspects on the Higginson Highway over the N2 Bridge in Durban following a massive shootout on Wednesday.
KZN provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed that a group comprising six men had been spotted lingering in the Morningside area by an alert private security company.
The men then drove off in a white Mercedes-Benz, giving rise to suspicions from the police, who after they were alerted, went after the group, TimesLIVE reported.
Source: Briefly News
