Gauteng’s National Taxi Alliance chairperson, Thamsanga Moyo, has been remembered as a leader who worked tirelessly to bring stability to the taxi industry.
Moyo was shot dead on Thursday in Soweto when gunmen in two vehicles blocked his car on the Soweto Highway and opened fire. He died at the scene.
“This is a devastating loss to the taxi industry and to Gauteng,” said provincial transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela. “Mr Moyo was a leader who played an important role in shaping dialogue within the industry and promoting stability. His untimely death is a blow to ongoing efforts to build peace, unity and sustainable solutions.”
She urged law enforcement agencies to move swiftly in tracking down those responsible. “We cannot allow criminal elements to derail progress in the taxi industry through acts of intimidation and violence. We call for calm, restraint and cooperation as investigations unfold,” she said.
The provincial government has been working to end violent rivalries within the minibus taxi sector, which has seen a spate of killings this year. In April, officials even suggested shutting down taxi ranks for six months to push operators toward the negotiating table.
Moyo’s death leaves a void in those peace efforts and has renewed calls for urgent action to safeguard leaders working to stabilize the industry.