The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Francois Beukman, condemns in the strongest terms the murder of 11 people associated with the Ivory-Park Taxi Association in Gauteng. The heinous killings happened at Colenso in KwaZulu Natal yesterday evening whilst the victims returned home from a funeral.

The Committee has on numerous occasions highlighted that in order to deal with crime effectively there is a need to eliminate illegal firearms used as tools to perpetrate these acts. “While the Committee is cognisant that a proper investigation would need to be undertaken to ascertain the firearms utilised in perpetrating these crimes, it is almost certain that illegal firearms were used. “These firearms must be removed from our streets to deal effectively with crime,” said Mr Francois Buekman.

The safety strategy of the taxi industry is also necessary in the context as a large number of people who depend on this service as well as the impact these crimes have on innocent families. “The incidence of last night is a further indication that violence in the taxi industry has now reached crisis levels in the country and multi-sectoral intervention strategy must be implemented to effectively deal with this scourge, “Mr Beukman emphasised.

The Committee welcomes the activation of a 72-hour action plan by the National Commissioner which consists of members from specialized units within the South African Police Service including Crime Intelligence, The Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, and Detectives to trace and apprehend perpetrators of these killings.