The Cape Town taxi strike reared its ugly head on Monday morning after one person was shot and killed during a fiery clash in Nyanga.
Watch: Cape Town taxi strike escalates in deadly violence
As reported by EWN, a motorist carrying passengers to work was ambushed by a large group of rioters linked to the ongoing taxi strike. In a statement, Western Cape police spokesperson Novela Potelwa confirmed the incident was reported at approximately 04:35.
From the evidence collected thus far, authorities believe the motorist, whose identity remains unknown at this time, was travelling along Airport Approach Road when, out of the blue, his vehicle was pelted with rocks, forcing him to veer to the side of the road.
“The driver of the vehicle responded by firing several shots. As a result, a yet-to-be-identified person was killed, another seriously wounded and two other sustained not-so-serious injuries,” Potelwa revealed.
The gory incident was caught on camera by eyewitnesses, who, unfortunately, were desensitised to the sheer scale of violence unfolding before their eyes.
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Massive arrests made following riots in Nyanga
Early indications suggest the motorist in question may have been taken in for further questioning. However, a detailed response from Cape Town authorities has yet to surface.
Following the violent clashes in Nyanga, police made 43 arrests and impounded an equal number of taxis, Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Rean Allen confirmed.
“At this stage, approximately 1 500 various law enforcement officers have been deployed. This is inclusive of an additional 300 public order policing South Africa Police Service members,” Allen revealed.
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