STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT ROBIN CARLISLE

Yet another taxi driver from the Retreat Taxi Association was murdered in Vrygrond this morning. This brings to four the total number of people shot in taxi violence in the area in the recent past: two fatally.

The vehicle of the driver, whose name cannot be revealed at this stage, was fired at yesterday by taxi hit men. He immediately phoned Minister Carlisle to inform him. The Minister immediately demanded that Metro Police and SAPS must contain the area, and charges were laid at the Muizenburg SAPS. This morning taxi hit men brutally murdered the driver.

The Minister is horrified by the murder. "This man approached me for help and I did everything in my power to help but it wasn't enough to save him from the vultures that took his life. I'm shattered. I will not let this murder go unpunished".

The Minister has been reliably informed that a prominent member of the Vrygrond Taxi Group is  linked to each of the four incidents of taxi violence related murders and shootings in the Vrygrond/Retreat area.

Credible eye witnesses claim that this morning he informed members of the Retreat Taxi Association who the next victim would be.

In response to this morning's incident, the Minister took the following actions:

● Met with Commissioners Burger and Dladla of SAPS (Provincial Commissioner Petros is away) to demand that SAPS take immediate action against the identified individual.

● Instructed the department that there will be no negotiations with the Vrygrond Taxi Group.

● No applications for licences or ranks from the Vrygrond Taxi Group will be considered or processed until the area has been free of violence for 6 weeks.

● Demanded that SAPS and Metro Police keep a strong presence in the area and;

● Demanded that the City of Cape Town law enforcement agencies confiscate and impound taxis in the area which are either unsafe or operating illegally.

The Minister sent his condolences to the family of the driver.

Statement issued by the Western Cape Ministry of Transport and Public Works, February 9 2010

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