A Lusikisiki taxi boss and Border Alliance Taxi Association chair survived a brutal hit on Friday afternoon after his vehicle was sprayed with bullets by unknown people.
The incident claimed the lives of two other people.
Taxi boss Sivuyile Vathu told DispatchLIVE on Sunday that his vehicle had been sprayed with a rain of bullets . He was hit in the arm, chest and his head was grazed by another bullet.
His driver and security guard, Siya Shezi was not so lucky as he died on the spot.
According to police reports, another person succumbed to injuries in hospital.
Vathu said the double cab Mazda bakkie he bought two months ago was written off. Vathu, a father of four, said: “It’s not people from the opposition. It’s inside Border [Alliance]. I am not in Lusikisiki now. I am in pain because of the incident. This is the first time that this has happened to me,” he said.
He said earlier in the year, their chair had been shot dead.
“First the chairperson was shot dead in January, then a secretary and another guy in February and now it is me.
“We have told authorities about these killings but we do not see any arrests. All these killings are related to leadership positions.
“I am not shocked that this has happened. I am disappointed because I was working hard to fix the issues in our association and I thought it was fixed because issues were raised in meetings,” he said.
He said his attackers were in a white VW Golf 7 car that he had earlier seen in town during the day.
“I was driving myself during that day until late when the shooting happened. I initially hired the security for my safety.
“I do not know the other person who died. Maybe it was a stray bullet because the bullets came like rain.”
Vathu lambasted poor police action in the taxi shootings in their area.
“Many people have been killed without any arrests being made. I will not be surprised if there are no arrests in this incident.
“Provincial police commissioner Liziwe Ntshinga must pull up her socks. We fear more people will die here. An intervention is needed. It is well-known who is behind these killings.”
Police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana confirmed the shooting incident.
“Police in Lusikisiki are on the hunt for the alleged murder suspect or suspects after the death of two men aged 35-42 at Sakwe Location.
“On August 27 at 16.50pm, members of the public of Sakwe Location Lusikisiki alerted police to a shooting incident.
“Upon arrival, police found a white double cab which belonged to the Border Taxi association chairperson.
“Inside the vehicle they found a man with gunshot wounds on the upper body. It is further alleged that another victim was taken to hospital, however, he succumbed to his injuries and died.”
While police were investigating two murder cases, Kinana said the motive for the incident was not yet known and no arrests had been made.
The two latest killings make it the seventh recorded deaths in taxi related incidents in the Eastern Cape since last month.
The first incident happened in Gqebera followed by one in East London. Two others happened in Komani while another taxi boss was killed in Mqanduli.
DispatchLIVE
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