Five people, including a British tourist and a police officer, were killed in violence linked to the week-long minibus taxi strike in Cape Town.
Also read: Nyanga police investigating murder of British tourist amid taxi strike
The 40-year-old British man was shot and killed on 3 August after a road blockage by protesters forced him to drive a different route. This route led him to an area of a township which was participating in the strike. Kar Teoh was reportedly killed in front of his wife and two-year-old son. He was a consultant foot and ankle surgeon at the state-run Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust in England, as per African Insider.
‘No arrests have been made pertaining to the British citizen but investigations are certainly underway,’ says warrant officer Joseph Swartbooi.
Teoh’s friend and fellow orthopaedic surgeon Paul Lee paid tribute to him online. ‘His professional dedication was unparalleled, but it was his personal warmth, his commitment to friendship, and his unwavering support that we will remember most fondly.’
On Friday, a police officer was also killed as authorities were ‘performing crime prevention patrols to quell taxi-related incidents.’ Three other deaths believed to be related to the strike were also reported.
The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) called for the strike over a new law which gives the City of Cape Town the power to impound vehicles over offences such as driving without a licence, not displaying registration plates or overloading.
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Hill-Lewis welcomes end to ‘entirely unnecessary’ taxi strike
Picture: @Am_Blujay / Twitter