Chris Gilili|Updated
Two men have been shot dead and another wounded in a suspected taxi-related shooting at the Palm taxi rank in Delft, with the incident leaving hundreds of commuters stranded during the early morning rush.
Police believe the shooting was taxi-related, while a taxi operator has linked the attack to a long-running dispute over routes between the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and CODETA.
Two killed in early morning shooting
The shooting happened in the early hours of Thursday morning. A resident living near the rank said they were woken by gunfire at about 3.45am, followed by another round of shots at 4.20am.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said crime scene experts were at the Palm taxi rank investigating the shooting.
“Two males were shot and fatally wounded and another injured. The injured victim was taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment. Delft police registered two counts of murder and an attempted murder for investigation,” van Wyk said.
He said police believed the motive for the shooting was taxi-related.
Taxi operator alleges route dispute
A source who works at the rank as a taxi operator said the shooting was linked to a long-standing dispute between CATA and CODETA over taxi routes.
“This shooting has CODETA written all over it. They were here yesterday in numbers and demanded that CATA taxis who are taking the Delft to Langa route must be removed. CODETA is trying to take over this rank but it's not theirs. The government is aware of this but does not want to act,” the source said.
The source also linked the shooting to the recent killing of two taxi owners in Epping.
The allegations have not been independently confirmed.
Commuters left stranded
The shooting has left hundreds of commuters stranded, forcing them to find alternative ways to get to work.
Police are continuing their investigation into the two murders and attempted murder.