'Extortionist' gunned down at Delft taxi rank
Police are investigating an attempted murder case after a man was shot multiple times at a taxi rank in Delft South, raising concerns about extortion-related violence.
Shots were fired on Friday afternoon at the Khayelitsha taxi rank in Delft South, where a 38-year-old man, believed to be an extortionist, was shot in the head and face.
The incident occurred around 1.45 pm on the Main Road when unidentified gunmen opened fire on the victim.
Initial reports stated that the victim was a taxi driver who was shot.
Spokespersons for CATA (Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association) and Codeta (Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association) confirmed that they are not aware of any of their people being gunned down.
Codeta chairperson Nceba Enge said that sometimes the incidents are not taxi-related but isolated incidents, such as extortionists.
Enge explained: “We are aware that someone was shot, but we can’t confirm anything.
“We are not aware if it is a driver because the news is saying that this person went to collect some money at one of the shops, but we are not entirely sure about that information.
“I think the police need to investigate so that we can know exactly what happened.”
Police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala confirmed that an attempted murder case is under investigation, and the motive for the attack is not yet known.
Gwala confirmed: “ Delft police responded to a complaint of a shooting next to a taxi rank in Delft South, Main Road.
“Upon arrival, they found a 38-year-old male victim lying in an open field with gunshot wounds to his head and face.
“He was transported to a medical facility for treatment. Police registered a case of attempted murder for investigation. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.”