Cape Town - Capricorn/Vrygrond residents are living in fear after renewed shootings between gangsters and those within the taxi industry.
After a month of respite from a bloody weekend of shootings, resulting in several deaths, there were several shootings between taxi drivers and the Junky Funky Kids gang.
Ward councillor Mandy Marr said the shootings started on Friday.
“There were multiple fatalities throughout the weekend as well as on Monday, with people injured including innocent bystanders.
“It’s not contained. Two of the shootings of taxi drivers took place on Prince George Drive. There were shootings in Vrygrond, as well as Overcome Heights,” she said.
Marr said residents were afraid of using taxis, and taxi drivers were scared they might be targeted.
“There is a general sense of instability and a fear that this may continue and have a long-term effect on the community. Vrygrond is not typically an area where there is gang warfare, so this is extremely terrifying and confusing for our residents,” she said.
Marr said the events motivated the need for a satellite police station in Vrygrond.
She said the number of deaths was between 7 and 8. However, this could not be confirmed. There were about the same number of fatalities during last month’s bloody weekend.
Congress for Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) spokesperson Andile Kanyi said Codeta was made aware that one of its taxis was shot at and the driver killed on Monday.
“We don’t know what was the motive for that so we are still waiting for the law enforcement agency to tell us what transpired. At this point in time there is no conflict whatsoever in the taxi industry, but we really don’t know and we are shocked and we don’t know what was the motive of killing our driver.”
Police spokesperson Frederick Van Wyk confirmed that multiple cases of murder and attempted murder were opened. He said there were no arrests.
The body of a 29-year-old man with gunshot wounds was found on Friday at 6.35pm in Vrygrond Avenue, and a 30-year-old man was wounded.
A 29-year-old man was shot dead and two passengers sustained minor injuries on the corner of Vrygrond and Trevor Siljeur roads on Sunday.
Two men, aged 70 and 27, were fatally shot, and a 45-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman were shot on Freedom Road, Overcome Heights, at 9.55pm, also on Sunday.
A man was shot several times at 1.16pm on Rasta Road, Overcome Heights.