Police in Johannesburg are on high alert after taxi leader Molefe Moekeletsi was shot dead in Marlboro on Thursday afternoon. Moekeletsi, chair of the Alexandra Taxi Association and a director at ABC Transport, died with one bodyguard at the scene. A second bodyguard and a passing motorist were hospitalized with serious injuries. Investigators said the attackers fled in a white Ford Ranger after abandoning a BMW X5 in Alexandra. Authorities asked hospitals and clinics to report patients with bullet wounds as part of the search. The killing is recorded by police as the thirty-ninth taxi-related violent incident this year, with 65 arrests across those cases.
Witnesses reported a daylight ambush. The abandoned BMW had blood on the driver’s seat and bullet holes, suggesting a suspect may be injured. Detectives are reviewing video and vehicle tracking data, and no arrests have been made by late Thursday. Family members said there had been earlier attempts on Moekeletsi’s life. He also led the Alexandra, Randburg, Midrand, and Sandton Taxi Association and had worked with the city on Rea Vaya Phase 1C. Officials warned that persistent route disputes and rivalries are fueling violence and asked the public to share tips.
Witnesses reported a daylight ambush. The abandoned BMW had blood on the driver’s seat and bullet holes, suggesting a suspect may be injured. Detectives are reviewing video and vehicle tracking data, and no arrests have been made by late Thursday. Family members said there had been earlier attempts on Moekeletsi’s life. He also led the Alexandra, Randburg, Midrand, and Sandton Taxi Association and had worked with the city on Rea Vaya Phase 1C. Officials warned that persistent route disputes and rivalries are fueling violence and asked the public to share tips.
