Cape Town - A fight between taxi associations has left seven dead and six others injured in the Eastern Cape.
According to eNCA, the incident included two groups in Mount Ayliff.
The news agency said it was believed the group of 10 men from Mpheni village allegedly attacked members of the Nokhatshile village.
It said the provincial government condemned the attack and was appealing to anyone with information to come forward.
Local publication The Citizen quoted provincial government spokesperson Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha as saying that the dispute was over local taxi routes.
He said the fight was believed to have been caused by factional disputes of local taxi associations. He said their information was that seven men, mostly from Nokhatshile village, were killed and the six men who were injured were rushed to the hospital.
Sicwetsha said officers from the South African Police Service were dispatched to the crime scene to investigate.
He said the provincial government was appealing to members of the two villages and to anyone who may have information about the fight to come forward to assist officers in their investigation.
“We condemn the use of violence as a solution to disputes and disagreements between individuals and groups in our province. Violence is a crime and it does not solve anything,” Sicwetsha said.
According to the publication, a shooting earlier this month left commuters stranded at the Bosman taxi rank in Tshwane, Gauteng.
Three people were treated at the fire station when they walked in. Further investigation at the scene led firefighters to another three victims who were injured in the shooting.
African News Agency (ANA)