A taxi driver involved in a shocking stabbing incident, captured in a video that went viral, has spoken out, claiming the attack was triggered by racial abuse. The driver, a member of the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA), is accused of stabbing a 48-year-old motorist multiple times in Maitland on 26 June.
The incident occurred at the intersection of Canon and Voortrekker Road, where the footage shows the taxi driver forcibly removing the victim from his vehicle. The driver then proceeds to stab the man while he is on the ground.
Police reports indicate that the victim was stabbed eight times during the assault. However, the taxi driver, who is currently in the Eastern Cape attending to a family "emergency", disputes this, asserting that he only stabbed the victim twice.
Speaking out about the incident, the taxi driver claimed that he was subjected to a barrage of racial slurs and insults by the motorist. "This person swore at me everything under the sun," he said. "He swore my 'ma se p***' and called me a k****r, every swear word there is he told me."
He expressed regret for not reporting the incident to the police immediately after it occurred but stated his intention to do so upon his return from the Eastern Cape this week.
In response to the incident, police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk confirmed that a seasoned detective had been assigned to investigate the matter. The detective interviewed the victim at his residence in Wynberg, where an affidavit was obtained for investigation purposes. Van Wyk added that the case docket had been escalated to the Western Cape Serious and Violent Crimes Taxi Unit for further investigation.
The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has also weighed in on the matter, with chairperson Mandla Hermanus expressing his shock and condemning the driver's actions. Hermanus confirmed that steps had been taken to assist the South African Police Service (SAPS) in ensuring that the law takes its course.
"It is very sad to see one of our drivers behaving in that manner which was absolutely barbaric and definitely uncalled for," Hermanus stated. "We condemn the behaviour of this driver and this is not what we want to be known for. We will leave it to the law to take its course but when that has happened, we already spoke to the primary association that this driver cannot drive our vehicles ever again."
Hermanus further confirmed that both the driver and the vehicle owner were expected to report to SAPS on Friday, 11 July, to hand themselves in.
The police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or the individual who recorded the video to come forward with information. Anyone with information is kindly requested to contact the investigation officer Detective Sergeant Thembelani Mekuto on 082 285 1058 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use MySAPS mobile application anonymously.
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