‘WE FEAR FOR OUR LIVES’ – Commuters flee as gunfire erupts at Delft taxi rank

NewsSportLifestyleEntertainmentOpinionNews’WE FEAR FOR OUR LIVES’ – Commuters flee as gunfire erupts at Delft taxi rankChris Gilili|Published 2 hours agoCopy to ClipboardAsk AICHAOS: Mense ran for their lives at Delft taxi rank shooting

TWO people were shot and wounded as heavily armed gunmen opened fire at the Palm taxi rank in Delft on Tuesday morning. 

Chaos erupted as hundreds of commuters ran for their lives and shelter as gunfire from automatic rifles was heard. 

Footage of the incident showed mense running for cover, and women could be heard sobbing as the skote klap. 

Police have shut down the rank for investigations, but did not confirm whether the latest horrifying incident was taxi-related. Feuding taxi associations CATA and CODETA also declined to comment.  

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis condemned the spate of taxi-related shootings. 

South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick van Wyk 

reported: “Police can confirm that two people were left wounded and taken to a medical facility in Delft 

“This office can confirm a shooting incident this morning at the Palm taxi rank in Delft. 

“Public Order Police members and other law enforcement agencies are currently on the scene and monitoring the situation.”

He said SAPS will issue a response once all the information has been collected.

When the Daily Voice visited the rank, a commuter, Nosipho Vellem, said she feared for her life.

The shaken vrou said: “We are scared and live in fear, but then we risk losing our jobs if we don’t show up. We need the government to intervene and help us. Since last week, the gunfire has been threatening us. We only hope for God’s protection.” 

Mayor Hill-Lewis condemned the spate of shootings that has rocked Delft, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni and Gugulethu in recent days. 

He said: “The City is offering its full policing support to SAPS, with metro officers having responded together with police to several incidents, including in Delft, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni and Gugulethu since yesterday.

“The senseless loss of life from these shootings must be met with the full might of a policing response. SAPS can rest assured they have our metro’s full policing support, including safety camera footage and surveillance technology, as well as direct boots on the ground.

“I call on taxi industry leaders to rise above the violence and ensure peace and calm prevail.”

Meanwhile, the Delft Community Policing Forum (CPF) called on schools to prioritise schoolgoers’ safety, with the Matric final examinations currently underway. 

The CPF said: “Delft SAPS Social Crime Prevention Desk urges all schools, especially those situated near taxi ranks and other high-risk areas, to ensure that learners who arrive late are not left waiting outside the school gates.

“Learners should not be left standing outside the school gates or along the streets, as this may expose them to potential danger.”

DESERTED: Palm taxi rank after the shooting