The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the Western Cape has expressed outrage following the death of one of its drivers, Luvuyo Vimba (32), who was allegedly beaten to death during an altercation with police and law enforcement officers in Cape Town’s CBD on Friday (1 November).
The incident has sparked outrage after videos of the altercation circulated widely on social media, showing the clash between taxi drivers, police and law enforcement officials.
SANTACO’s public relations officer, Makhosandile Tumana, said the organization is deeply disturbed by what it describes as “police brutality” against taxi drivers, and it is calling on national authorities to take immediate action.
He said that SANTACO is calling for intervention from the Minister of Police, Minister of Transport, and the National Police Commissioner.
“The killing of Mr. Luvuyo Vimba follows many incidents. It is very sad that Luvuyo Vimba was seen being brutally beaten by the police to death in the hands of our own police. This kind of behavior is an injustice, and we demand that the police officers seen on the video be brought to book.”
Speaking to VOC News, law enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason said that law enforcement officers were called the scene to provide tactical cover to the SAPS officers.
“On Friday, 1 November, at approximately 19:00, the South African Police Service requested Law Enforcement support in Strand Street in the CBD.”
“A shot had been heard, and SAPS officers had identified a suspect. However, based on information at our disposal, bystanders and taxi drivers tried to run interference,” said Dyason.
“The suspect was then taken to the nearby railway police station, where Law Enforcement remained on the scene for approximately an hour before departing.”
Meanwhile, Western Cape police has confirmed that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has launched an investigation into the incident to examine the actions of the officers involved and the events leading up to the incident.
VOC News has reached out IPID for further comment, no response was available at the time of publication.
VOC News
Photo: VOCfm/Supplied
