Slain taxi driver knew ‘his day was coming’
A taxi owner was shot dead at Mzimhlophe hostel as he was leaving in his bakkie.434 Picture: Matthews Baloyi 5/10/2012 A taxi owner was shot dead at Mzimhlophe hostel as he was leaving in his bakkie.434 Picture: Matthews Baloyi 5/10/2012
The taxi owner shot dead by two unknown men in Soweto on Thursday morning had lived in fear for his life for months.
Sipho Wilson Sangweni’s son Sibonelo said his father had just driven off at at 11am when he heard gunshots and saw two men flee into Meadowlands Hostel.
He said his father, whose taxis operated between Joburg and Pretoria under the auspices of the Joburg, Pretoria and Mabopane Taxi Association, had been avoiding parking his car close to his room at the hostel so as not to reveal when he was home.
“As usual, I went and picked up the car and brought it to him… I looked around for any suspicious people before he came out and drove off,” said Sibonelo.
“He had barely left the complex when I heard shots and ran to his car, to find him dead. My father had told us some people were out to kill him, and although he was always cautious, he knew that his day was coming.”
Police spokesman Constable Sibusiso Chauke said a case of murder had been opened and police were looking for two unknown gunmen. He could not say if the CCTV camera situated above the area had captured the shooting, but the dead man’s son said he was hopeful that it had.
Police officers descended on Meadowlands Hostel and conducted a raid, with a helicopter hovering above, soon after the dead man’s body was removed.
“His murder is definitely related to (the) taxi business. His friend in the same taxi association was killed in December and my father had been living in fear since then,” said Sibonelo.
poloko.tau@inl.co.za