Gunmen kill driver in Soweto taxi war
Gunmen killed a ride-hailing driver in Johannesburg on Wednesday in the latest violence between online operators and traditional taxi and minibus drivers, police said.
Ride-hailing drivers in South Africa have faced repeated deadly attacks by taxi and minibus drivers who say platforms like Uber and Bolt are undercutting their business.
Four men approached a ride-hailing vehicle outside a mall in the Soweto township, shot the driver and set the vehicle on fire, police said.
The gunmen also fired on a second vehicle nearby but the driver escaped before it too was torched.
Footage of the burning vehicles circulated on social media.
At least two people, including a passer-by, were wounded in the gunfire, police said.
"A case of murder, attempted murder with two counts and arson is opened for further investigations," police said, adding that the incident was "suspected to be taxi violence related".
Minibus taxis are the main mode of transport for most South Africans, but the services are notoriously chaotic and often governed by criminal networks.
Deadly turf wars between rival taxi associations are also common.
Drivers operating via ride-hailing apps are frequently barred by threat of violence from picking up passengers in certain areas dominated by minibus operators.
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