By Hendrik Hancke – 15 July 2022 – 18: 24
Neo Molobela conserving a sigh of her murdered brother, Simon Sepaka.
Describe: Ziphozonke Lushaba/TimesLIVE
Nothing became once stolen when taxi driver Simon Sepaka and a passenger indulge in been brutally gunned down on Thursday evening in Alexandra, northern Johannesburg.
Sepaka and his aloof unidentified passenger are two of the six victims murdered between 6pm on Thursday and Friday morning.
Sepaka’s youthful sister Neo Molobela and varied relatives showed TimesLIVE the Toyota vehicle throughout which Sepaka met his tragic and brutal reside.
“Why did they favor to assassinate them? His mobile phone became once aloof there, his jacket and money, heavenly no longer as much as R100,” Molobela sobbed.
The window on the passenger facet of the vehicle — now parked in front of the family’s home — became once smashed, hasty lined with plastic sheeting. A male family member who did now not desire to be named opened the driver’s door and gestured inside of.
“There indulge in been two shooters. One got here from the left and fired by the passenger window and the quite loads of fired by Simon’s door which became once in part initiate,” the family member stated. Blood spatter, aloof visible on the inside of of the hinge on the driver facet door, regarded to substantiate the initiate-door thought.
Taxi driver Simon Sepaka and his murdered passenger’s blood inside of his Toyota Avante.
Describe: Ziphozonke Lushaba/TimesLIVE
Molobela is enraged. “If I could maybe peek [police minister] Bheki Cele now I will quiz him why there are no longer enough police on our streets. If there indulge in been more police this would possibly occasionally maybe by no formula indulge in occurred so casually.”
Molobela says her taxi driver brother’s loss of life is heartbreaking, however the exact disaster will seemingly be felt by his 13- and 7-Twelve months-old formative years.
“My brother became once an very fair right man, he had no enemies. We are all aloof perplexed and skittish at his passing,” stated Molobela, 36.
“I got the call that he became once shot about ten minutes after heart of the evening. I became once in Diepsloot on the time and rushed to the place where he became once killed, but by the time I arrived that they had already taken him away.”
Molobela stated her brother will seemingly be buried subsequent week in Tzaneen.
Taxi drivers are calling for improved visible policing to fight the high crime rate in Alex.
Describe: Ziphozonke Lushaba/TimesLIVE
Earlier on Friday, TimesLIVE became once on the scene when enraged taxi drivers gathered subsequent to the ironically named Freedom Restaurant reverse the Alexandra police region.
Protesting drivers placed three tyres in the vehicle entrance to the police region and lit them. Participants of the police and Johannesburg metro rushed to extinguish the flames minutes earlier than minister Bheki Cele and Gauteng premier David Makhuru arrived in a blue gentle convoy. This reporter approached the taxi drivers for an interview but became once before the entirety waved away angrily.
“One of our brothers became once taken remaining evening. We don’t desire to talk to the media, give us the police. We desire solutions from Cele,” an enraged driver shouted.
You wake up at 4am so that it is seemingly you’ll hit the facet road. You place yourself targets take care of a rooster meal and electricity to your family. Now we dwell and work in hassle Taxi driver
When the minister and premier arrived under heavily armed police guard, the gathered taxi drivers made no secret of their feelings.
“Right here’s no longer the important thing of our colleagues to be murdered on this case. Nothing ever comes from our murders. In the event that they arrest any individual the courts in most cases allow them to drag free,” a driver stated. One other stated the native region became once a police region in title splendid.
“There is virtually by no formula a police van out there after we sigh a topic. And if there would possibly be one they seldom drag out. Of us arrested are scarce, but of us ending up in penal complex nearly by no formula occurs.”
High ranking officers indulge in been at all cases guarded by heavily armed inside of most security and police.
Describe: Ziphozonke Lushaba/TimesLIVE
The chairperson of Alexandra CPF, Chris Mabunda, stated the instant response of the police in exciting seven suspects on Friday afternoon has more to attain with the neighborhood than with investigating skills.
“The neighborhood is enraged and drained of mindless crimes and criminals ruling our streets. Community participants at the moment started co-running and feeding SAPS necessary recordsdata,” Mabunda told TimesLIVE.
He stated the age of the seven suspects (18-33) did now not surprise him.
“Many of the violent criminals are younger boys. They attain no longer respect their elders or the police.”
Mabunda stated the the same kind of firearms — nine millimetre pistols — indulge in been aged in the many attacks.
“Ballistics will uncover the police a lot once the suspects’ weapons are examined.”
Many of the violent criminals are younger boys. They attain no longer respect their elders or the police Alexandra CPF chairperson Chris Mabunda
The drivers indulge in been aloof gathered outdoor the police region gates when TimesLIVE left the premises. Neither their numbers, nor their infuriate dwindling.
“Cele must shut this region or bring us current police officers. Police officers who’re no longer too sluggish or scared to attain their jobs,” a driver shouted.
“Simon became once a expansive man. He had no enemies and became once very peaceful. It became once no longer outlandish to look him sitting alone in his car contemplating life.”
One other stated taxi drivers are one of the most important country’s hardest working voters.
“You wake up at 04: 00 in the morning so that it is seemingly you’ll hit the facet road. You place yourself targets take care of a rooster meal and electricity to your family, and splendid drag dwelling after you hit that attention on.
“Now we dwell and work in hassle. You don’t know if this passenger you buy up is an actual customer or a assassin. The police must initiate doing their jobs!”
It’s some distance no longer splendid the drivers who “dwell in hassle” of murderous criminals. This reporter spotted three younger formative years armed with a hockey membership and a golf membership shut to the police region. When asked in the event that they are on their formula to play sport they laughed.
“No Baba, we’re armed to defend our neighborhood,” they replied.
Maj-Gen Max Masha stated police had worked exhausting to originate the seven arrests inside of 24 hours.
“I told the taxi drivers their coming here to screen their infuriate is no longer one thing we settle lightly. We deployed a lot of resources early this morning and attributable to input from the neighborhood, the arrests indulge in been made conceivable.”
TimesLIVE
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