Families of the five Western Cape taxi strike victims try to pick up the pieces after losing their loved ones

By Velani Ludidi, Samane Jnr Marks and Chuma Nontsele

21 Aug 2023

Among those who died in the taxi strike were a 36-year-old worker from Gugulethu, an Atlantis taxi owner, a 33-year-old LEAP officer, a man transporting people to work and a 40-year-old British doctor.

For eight chaotic days, Cape Town was in the grip of a taxi strike that saw multiple incidents of violence, including five deaths. It has now been a week since the strike was called off by the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) after they reached an agreement with the City of Cape Town on the impoundment of taxis.

But the families of those who died in the volatile strike are struggling to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Emotional farewell for two Cape Town safety officers shot dead in their thirties

Siphamandla Baba, a 36-year-old resident of Lotus, Gugulethu, was killed in Duinefontein Road, Nyanga, on the morning of Monday, 7 August. He was shot while looking for a way to get to work.

Baba was taken by ambulance to Heideveld Hospital, where he died.

His brother, Lubabalo, told Daily Maverick that he was there when Siphamandla was shot.

“I was there when it took place. The loss of my sibling in front of my eyes hurts. Around 7.30am, ubuti Siphamandla, a fellow employee, and I were at Nyanga Junction together. Because of the taxi strike, we were looking for other transport to get to work in Ottery.

“I stayed behind to buy cigarettes at one of the vendors outside Nyanga Junction. Immediately after, I went to catch up with them and we walked up the steps. Then more than four people showed up, firing shots at everyone on those stairs. I ran back inside the Junction for cover,” Baba said.

“When I came out, there was a heavy police presence and the other colleague of mine said my brother had been shot. An officer told me my brother had been taken to Heideveld Hospital in Athlone.”

When he got there, he said he was given his brother’s clothing and told that he had been transferred to Groote Schuur Hospital in Observatory. He went home and spent a worried afternoon with his family.

“I got a call from Groote Schuur on Wednesday around 3.30am informing me about my brother’s passing,” said Baba.

“I immediately felt my heart ache … I was utterly devastated. My brother, the protector of the entire family, had tragically left us. I’m still at a loss for words … I’m not at all okay.”

‘Still in shock’

Siphamandla Baba’s wife, Sinonelele, told Daily Maverick that her husband had supported their family and his five siblings.

“He put in a lot of effort because he was the only one with a steady job and income. He looked after our entire family, including his siblings. I am still in shock over his death.

“I really can’t say what will happen next. I am left with three of our kids, Olwethu, Melokhuhle and Unalo. As an unemployed mom, it is very depressing … I’m not sure how I’ll handle it all.”

Daily Maverick previously reported on the death of learner law enforcement officer, Zamikhaya Kwinana, who was killed while on patrol in Nyanga on Friday 11 August, in the early days of the taxi strike.

Read more on Daily Maverick: SAPS confirm arrest of suspect linked to murder of Cape Town Leap officer Toufeeq Williams

Kwinana was born and raised in Mqanduli, Eastern Cape. The 33-year-old was the father of four and the fifth child of six children.

Ndileka Bezena, Kwinana’s sister, described him as a man who abided by the book. She was speaking on 14 August when the safety and security directorate of the City of Cape Town held a memorial service for the victims at the Civic Centre.

“He was a very goal-driven man who began his career at the Ukhuselo Training Academy, moved to Bidvest Magnum as a patrol officer, spent four years at Chippa Security, four years at Bossa Security Intelligence, three years at ADT Security as an armed response, and finally joined the Cape Town LEAP team in August 2022,” said Bezena.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Emotional farewell for two Cape Town safety officers shot dead in their thirties

On holiday in SA with his family, 40-year-old British doctor, Kar Hao Teoh, was killed at the peak of the Santaco taxi strike on 3 August in Nyanga.

Police believe he was driving near the airport when he took a wrong turn towards a group of protesters.

TimesLive reported that Kar Hao Teoh was with his wife Sara and their two-year-old son Hugo when he was fatally shot.

According to BBC News, the victim was a trauma consultant and orthopaedic surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Day 8 – Santaco accepts Cape Town mayor’s invitation back to negotiating table as taxi strike is extended

On the fifth day of the taxi strike, two people were killed in morning traffic near Cape Town International Airport.

Taxi owner Joseph Mkhele died and three others were injured when taxi operators came under fire while pelting motorists with rocks on the airport approach road off the N2.

“The driver responded to the attack by firing several shots. As a result, a death and three injuries were recorded,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa.

A few kilometres from the airport, Bongani Kebeni was killed while transporting people to work in his Toyota Avanza. A video circulating on social media showed Kebeni’s passengers running for their lives when they were stopped on Borcherds Quarry Road by protesting taxi drivers.

Shots were fired and he died on the scene.

Athule Dukwana, a cousin of Kebeni, said he saw the video but did not realise the victim was his relative. “He worked as a taxi driver and I found out on social media that it was him that was shot.”

Santaco has maintained that the violence, deaths and destruction that took place during the eight days of the strike were not their responsibility.

Despite taxis blocking the airport approach road, Santaco deputy secretary Nceba Enge said the operators were not acting on the organisation’s instructions. DM

Read more in Daily Maverick: Western Cape Taxi Strike

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‘Still in shock’