Two Taxi owners have been attacked and one of them wa sleft dead in taxi related attacks over the weekend in Limpopo.
Police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said the other incident happened in Tzaneen.
Ngoepe said it is alleged that, in the early hours of Friday at about at 02:00, at Senakwe village, a woman aged 53 who is a taxi owner, was attacked while sleeping with her niece aged 23, by a group of armed suspects, amongst them, was a well-known former member of a taxi association.
He said during this incident, the suspects robbed the victim and shot her with a firearm several times throughout her body before they fled the scene.
The woman’s niece escaped unharmed.
The Police were notified and responded accordingly. The Saps Tzaneen Cluster Task Team took over the matter and the initial investigations and manhunt ensued and a 48-year-old suspect was arrested within a short space of time.
Ngoepe said the victim is still recovering in hospital.
The suspect is still being profiled and he may be linked to more similar incidents of crimes in the area.
He will be charged with an attempted murder and he will appear before the Bolobedu Magistrate Court on Monday.
Meanwhile, in Bolobedu outside Tzaneen cops have launched a massive manhunt for the suspects involved in another separate taxi related killing which occurred last night at about 18:30, along the gravel road between Bochabelo and Ga-Nakampe villages.
Ngoepe said that a 55-year-old Judas Moremi, a taxi owner from Ga-Boqa village in the Bolobedu area was found dead in his car with multiple gun shot wounds throughout his body.
He found dead on the driver’s seat of his taxi which also had a number of bullets holes.
The motive behind this incident is not clear at this stage but the Taxi related violence may not be ruled out.
The suspects involved in this matter are still unknown and there is no arrest. Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects involved in this matter, may contact Colonel Cecil Machimane at 082 451 7181 or the crime stop number 0860010111 or the nearest Police Station.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner Samuel Manala has commended the swift reaction by the Saps Tzaneen Cluster Task Team which led to the arrest of the suspects on the first incident occurred in Senakwe village, which is in compliance of the 72 hours activation plan.
He said members of the community, especially the Taxi industry must seek intervention from the relevant authorities in case of any form of conflict between different associations rather than resorting to violence and killings which is totally uncalled for.
Those who are still perpetrating this type of incidents, will be dealt with harshly and without compromise, concluded Manala.
