Cape Town – In what is believed to be an escalation of taxi wars in Cape Town, a massive fire tore through the Nyanga taxi rank on Sunday night, reducing multiple vehicles to ashes.
Thirteen minibus taxis, four Sprinter buses, and a civilian vehicle were completely gutted in the blaze.
Firefighters battled strong winds to contain the inferno, finally extinguishing it at 23:40.
City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse confirmed that no injuries were reported.
However, the cause of the fire remains unknown, and the scene has been handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for investigation.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa stated that additional officers had been deployed to the taxi rank following the incident.
“Local police and fire services were called out after flames were seen coming from several vehicles. A case of arson is under investigation, and no arrests have been made yet. Law enforcement will remain in the area to ensure stability,” she said.
The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) Western Cape’s Mandla Hermanus acknowledged the incident but was unable to provide further details at the time of publication.
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This latest act of destruction comes just a month after a deadly shooting at the same taxi rank, which left one person dead and seven others injured. Eighteen men have since been arrested in connection with that attack, which was linked to ongoing tensions within the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA).
Video footage from the taxi rank fire shows vehicles engulfed in flames, sending plumes of thick smoke into the night sky. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
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