The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Western Cape has called for urgent intervention from national government ministers following the fatal shooting of prominent taxi industry figure Mongi Titi in Cape Town.
Titi, an executive member of the CATA Regional Taxi Association, was gunned down at the Nyanga taxi rank on Wednesday. According to reports, unidentified assailants approached his vehicle and opened fire. Police have yet to make an arrest, but detectives from the Provincial Taxi Violence Unit are pursuing leads.
Titi was widely regarded as a key figure in efforts to stabilise and professionalise the minibus taxi sector in the province. His death has sent shockwaves through the industry and raised fresh concerns about ongoing taxi-related violence in the region.
Western Cape SACP secretary and ANC spokesperson for Mobility, Benson Ngqentsu, condemned the killing in strong terms, describing it as a “brutal and senseless assassination.”
“Mr Titi was not only a prominent leader within the taxi industry but also a sharp, committed, and principled individual whose insights and dedication to the sector will be profoundly missed,” said Ngqentsu. “We call on the national ministers, Senzo Mchunu and Barbara Creecy, to intervene, as there seems to be a leadership vacuum in the provincial government led by the DA.”
Mandla Hermanus, Western Cape chairperson of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), echoed the sentiments, emphasising Titi’s importance to ongoing peace-building efforts in the industry.
“His death is a huge loss to the industry, and we urge law enforcement agencies to do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice,” said Hermanus. “We also appeal to industry members to remain calm during this difficult time.”
