The Hillview community in Lavender Hill says gangsters are targeting taxi drivers by demanding protection money from them, after a 35-year-old driver was shot and killed on Tuesday morning.
Residents say Envor Julies was approached by at least three men in St Patrick Avenue just after 6am and an argument broke out, followed by shots being fired.
A 43-year-old male resident tells the Daily Voice: “The van was standing there in the road and you could see Envor was talking to the guys when you just heard shots going off and then the van drove over the field and crashed into a wall in Gladiola Street.
“If the wall was not there, the van would have driven into the house and maybe hurt the people living there.”
The resident says Envor was well-known in the community as his family have been involved in the taxi business for many years.
He says skollies have been targeting taxi drivers over the last few months.
“The Flakkas and Funkies are fighting for turf here in the area so the gangsters are demanding protection money from the drivers to be on certain routes.
“Envor was sieka arguing with them over that and it ended up with them shooting him.”
When the Daily Voice visited Envor’s family, they did not want to comment on the shooting, however, a family member said he was not involved in gangsterism and used to spend all his time behind the wheel of a taxi.
The elderly woman whose fence was damaged by the taxi did not wish to comment.
Her neighbour tells the Daily Voice they are all concerned as shootings have become all too common.
“Over the weekend, there was another shooting and the gangsters are just having a free-for-all in the community,” the neighbour says.
“Men already have to be careful when they go to the shop or just being outside and now they (gangsters) are going for guys like Envor who was doing his job.”
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed the shooting and said Envor was hit multiple times.
“The 35-year-old victim was declared deceased on the scene by paramedics and a murder case was registered.
“The suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested, while the motive is yet to be established,” he says.
Ward 45 councillor Mandy Marr, who was on the scene yesterday morning, said the City is committed to stopping crime in the area.
“LEAP officers are on constant patrol while we are working closely with neighbourhood watch groups and Muizenberg SAPS,” she says.