SAPS Taxi Violence Task Team Roped In to Probe Murder of Gauteng Taxi Alliance Chair Thamsanqa Moyo

Johannesburg – The SAPS Taxi Violence Task Team has been roped in to probe the murder of Gauteng National Taxi Alliance chairperson Thamsanqa Moyo, who was gunned down in a suspected hit on the Soweto Highway south of Johannesburg on Thursday morning.

Moyo, 58 and a key mediator in Gauteng’s fractious taxi industry, was driving alone towards a business meeting when assailants in a minibus taxi and a Toyota Yaris ambushed him, firing multiple shots that left him dead at the scene. Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Mavela Masondo confirmed no valuables were taken from the vehicle, pointing to a targeted assassination rather than robbery. “The motive for the killing cannot be confirmed at this stage. Although we suspect that it is related to taxi violence, taking into account that the victim is the chairperson of the taxi association,” Masondo told reporters at the cordoned-off Diepkloof site. The National Taxi Alliance (NTA) verified the tragedy through spokesperson Theo Malele, who noted details are “still sketchy” as the investigation unfolds. With over 50 transport-related killings in Gauteng this year alone, Moyo’s death has heightened fears of escalating turf wars, prompting a multi-agency manhunt for the gunmen.

The brazen midday attack unfolded on the busy Soweto Highway near Immink Drive, a key artery linking Diepkloof’s township bustle to the N1, where Moyo was en route to a meeting in the CBD. Witnesses described the suspects boxing in his sedan before unleashing a hail of bullets – at least 10 rounds, per initial forensics – before fleeing towards Orlando West. ER24 paramedics arrived swiftly but pronounced him dead on site from multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body. The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) swiftly closed both directions of the highway, rerouting traffic via the N1 and causing hours-long snarls that stranded thousands of commuters. JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla advised: “Emergency personnel and law enforcement officials are on scene. Motorists are advised to exercise caution and use alternative routes such as the N1 and Immink Drive.”

Task Team Takes Lead: Suspected Taxi Hit Sparks Manhunt

Masondo announced the SAPS Taxi Violence Task Team – a Hawks-led unit with metro and provincial muscle – would spearhead the probe, drawing on their track record of 200 arrests in 2025 hits. “We’ve started our investigation… We are working closely with the Department of Transport and various metro police departments. We’ve made arrests in other cases related to taxi violence, and we hope to get a breakthrough in this one as well,” he said, appealing for tips via Crime Stop at 08600 10111. No arrests yet, but dashcam footage from nearby tolls and informants are in play – a tactic that cracked a Roodepoort ambush last month.

Moyo, a Santaco affiliate leader since 2018, was no stranger to the fray – he’d brokered truces in Soweto’s Nancefield routes and Krugersdorp flashpoints, earning respect as a “bridge-builder” in a R50 billion industry riddled with 500 annual murders. His NTA role mediated GNTA-CODETA beefs, but rivals whispered of unresolved grudges over Joburg CBD fares. The hit’s hallmarks – no theft, getaway vehicles – scream syndicate, echoing the August 13 torching of e-hailing driver Mthokozisi Siyanda Mvelase near Maponya Mall, where two were injured in a minibus blaze cops tied to taxi-Uber wars. No arrests there either, a failure haunting Diepkloof’s drivers.

Turf Wars Toll: 50+ Killed in Gauteng This Year

Gauteng’s taxi violence, a deadly dance of routes and ranks, has claimed 50+ lives in 2025 – from Soweto ambushes to Pretoria hijackings – amid Santaco-CODETA splits over fares and foreign drivers. Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s R100 million peace fund yielded truces in Tshwane, but Joburg’s fractures fester, with AKs from Mozambique arming feuds. ActionSA’s Zwakele Mncwango: “Lip service – arrest the kingpins.” NTA’s Malele: “Tragic loss – we demand justice.”

Moyo’s family, in a Diepkloof vigil, seeks solace: “He fought for fair routes; now fight for us.” The NTA eyes a Friday shutdown – taxis idling in protest – that could snarl the city if answers lag.

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