Western Cape SANTACO believes financial squabbles led to Nyanga shootout
One person was killed and several others injured in a gun battle on Tuesday between private security officers hired to guard taxi bosses from the same taxi association who are in conflict.
Picture: © Alexey Stiop /123rf.com
CAPE TOWN - Taxi umbrella body SANTACO (South African National Taxi Council) in the Western Cape believes that financial squabbles within a certain taxi organisation in Cape Town are what led to a deadly shootout at the Nyanga taxi rank this week.
One person was killed and several others injured in a gun battle on Tuesday between private security officers hired to guard taxi bosses from the same taxi association who are in conflict.
Fifteen private security guards from KwaZulu-Natal, a taxi boss and two other taxi owners have been charged in connection with the shooting.
SANTACO's provincial chairperson, Mandla Hermanus, said that their understanding was that the conflict stems from mismanagement of finances within the taxi association.
"Because we are unsubsidised and associations find ways to raise funds so that they can run their operations, sometimes you get people who see an opportunity to control those funds and then when members of the association demand accountability and then problems start when those who control the money don't want to be held accountable by the members."
Hermanus said that in some instances, the monies collected were not used for their intended purposes, and that's when problems start.
"Sometimes for the members, it's difficult because those who raise issues in terms of holding those who collect these monies accountable, they find themselves being faced with a violent response from those who want to use these monies for their own benefit."