POLICE in South Africa are investigating a fatal shooting at a secondary school in the coastal city of Cape Town that killed a 14-year-old pupil and a taxi operator.
An unidentified man opened fire on a taxi as the driver waited to pick up pupils on Wednesday, shooting the driver, another man and two children, police said.
Two pupils, aged 14 and 16, were also injured in the attack, which has been linked to long-running deadly turf wars between rival taxi associations.
“It is unacceptable that our children continue to be exposed to danger as a result of ongoing conflict within the taxi industry,” said Isaac Sileku, a senior Western Cape official.
Violence has plagued South Africa’s highly competitive and lucrative taxi industry for decades.
While minibus taxis continue to dominate the market, the rise of e-hailing services is increasing tensions, leading to violent and sometimes deadly clashes between operators.
On Thursday, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the local authority was offering a reward of up to 100,000 rand (£4,600; $6,400) for information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the shooting.
Wednesday’s attack took place as students at Atlantis Senior Secondary were leaving school, when gunshots rang out and sparked panic.
Police arrived at the scene and found a minibus taxi parked outside the school, with the body of a 42-year-old a taxi operator inside. He had multiple gunshot wounds.
In the school grounds, officers discovered the body of a 14-year-old girl who had been shot multiple times in the chest. Police said she had been shot while attempting to run from the gunfire.
“A 14-year-old learner [female] sustained a gunshot wound to her back. Another 16-year-old female was grazed by a bullet,” said police spokesperson FC van Wyk.
He said it was not yet clear how many gunmen were involved, adding that detectives and officers from the Taxi Violence Investigations Unit were investigating the attack.
This was the second attempt on the taxi operator’s life this month, local media reported.
In a statement, the Western Cape regional authorities condemned the “senseless act”, saying “no learner should ever face danger while travelling to or from school”.
“Violence of this nature undermines community safety, disrupts education, and instils fear among residents,” it added.
Sileku said the safety of commuters and learners “is non-negotiable and must never be compromised by [taxi] industry conflict”.
“We also urge law enforcement agencies to act decisively to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice swiftly.”