Commuters were forced to take cover during a gunfight at the Nyanga taxi rank on Tuesday morning that left a taxi security guard dead and another seven injured.
The shooting is believed to be linked to taxi association conflict in Nyanga, police said in a statement.
Nineteen guards had been held for questioning, said provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile.
A team made up of police intelligence operatives, the National Intervention Unit, a drone unit and the provincial combat team had been monitoring movements near the rank at the time of the shooting, and that chance deployment had helped to avert further bloodshed, he said.
“We have taken 25 firearms from the guards. Out of the 25 firearms, 13 are rifles and seven are pistols.
“We have taken 19 guards for questioning. They belong to a certain security company and these securities are not from here; they are from other provinces.”
He said the guards identified themselves as being part of a “taxi violence unit”. That wording is displayed on their vehicles and bulletproof vests.
“We will investigate how did they land here,” he said, adding that more police officers had meanwhile been deployed to the area.
“Part of the reason behind the shooting is about money, and we are going to investigate what is this money that is problem in the taxi industry.”
Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association spokesperson Nkululeko Sityebi expressed condolences to the family of the dead guard and described the incident as shocking and unexpected.
He said they had no idea what had led to the shooting.
He said the organisation condemned all acts of violence.
