'Force power' needed to address taxi violence - Lesufi
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said government cannot allow taxi bosses to take matters into their own hands.
His remarks followed the killing of three taxi marshals in Mofolo, Soweto, on Monday.
In the last month, 30 people have been killed in the province due to taxi-related violence.
Delivering his welcoming address at the Inaugural Policing Summit, Lesufi said more force power is needed to address the violence in the taxi industry.
"We cant allow taxi associations and taxi bosses to do as they wish in our province, we need to demonstrate to these taxi bosses and taxi associations on who is the boss in this country and the bosses are the law enforcement agencies, they just need fire power to tackle this matter."
In March alone, 11 taxi operators were gunned down in Katlehong, outside Germiston.
Four people were shot and killed at a taxi rank in Jeppestown in the Johannesburg CBD.
READ: Four killed in Joburg taxi shooting
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety also expressed concern over the escalating taxi violence incidents in the province.
The committee spokesperson, Dr Bandile Masuku says that the growing violence undermines the rule of law and threatens the safety of communities relying on the taxi industry for daily commuting to and from work as well as various destinations.
"This senseless bloodshed, allegedly stemming from violent disputes over routes between rival taxi associations, has created an atmosphere of fear and instability, putting the lives of commuters, operators, and innocent bystanders at risk.
"The Committee strongly condemns these killings and calls for the Gauteng SAPS to intensify visible policing, intelligence-led operations, and swift arrests to dismantle the criminal elements fuelling this violence."
Masuku added that the committee has made a formal request to the South African Police Service in Gauteng to provide a detailed progress and status report regarding investigations into the recent spate of taxi-related killings in the province.
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