Shootout at Cape Town taxi rank sends commuters fleeing as three killed

People can be seen scattering from gunfire in Delft.

Three people have been killed in separate shootings across Cape Town amid suspected taxi-related violence, while commuters were seen fleeing for their lives as gunfire rang out in Delft.

Several videos of the shooting incidents from different angles have since gone viral on social media platforms. 

In one video, different calibres of firearms can be heard being shot, one sounding like a machine gun. People can be seen scattering in different directions from gunfire. 

The shooting incidents have spilled over into several areas across Cape Town and are alleged to be linked to taxi violence. 

The Western Cape police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, confirmed the death of two people and the injury of one other in Gugulethu. 

“Gugulethu SAPS registered two counts of murder and one of attempted murder following a shooting incident on Tuesday afternoon, October 27, 2026, at about 2.50pm, on the corner of NY1 and NY3A, Gugulethu, where two adult males were shot and fatally wounded and another wounded,” Twigg said. 

He said the two male victims were declared dead at the scene while the other victim was rushed to a nearby medical facility for treatment. 

“The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. The motive for the attack is believed to be taxi-related.  The suspect/s are yet to be arrested,” Twigg said. 

Hours later, a 38-year-old man was gunned down in Japhta K Masemola Street, H Block in Khayelitsha. 

“Police members were called to the crime scene, where they found the victim in a Toyota Quantum minibus taxi with gunshot wounds to his body. The victim was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel. The motive for the attack is believed to be taxi-related, and no arrests have been made yet,” Twigg said.

Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, announced the temporary closure of the Delft Public Transport Interchange amid taxi violence on Wednesday. 

This comes after shooting incidents erupted across the metro linked to taxi violence. 

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence that has once again erupted between minibus taxi associations this morning. We have closed the Delft PTI due to the outbreak of violence, which is rooted in various long-standing taxi route disputes in the area,” he said. 

The shooting incidents have also spilled over to Mfuleni and Gugulethu. 

According to Quintas, the violence stems from longstanding disputes between CATA and CODETA over minibus taxi routes and operating rights, particularly in Delft, Khayelitsha and Somerset West. He said years of mediation, negotiations and even High Court intervention have failed to bring about a lasting resolution.

“The latest tensions centre on contested routes between Delft, Epping and Killarney, with the very real danger that violence could spread to other major commuter corridors. Thousands of passengers depend on these services every day, and the consequences of further escalation would be devastating. These disputes must be resolved through lawful processes and meaningful engagement, not intimidation, shootings, and bloodshed,” Quintas said. 

He said his immediate concern is for the thousands of commuters who rely on minibus taxis to get to work, school, and other essential destinations every day.

In a statement on Wednesday, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis condemned the shootings and said the City is offering its full policing support to the South African Police Service (SAPS), with metro officers having responded together with police to several incidents, including Delft, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni and Gugulethu since Tuesday. 

“We utterly condemn the violence and lawlessness linked to disputes within the taxi industry. The senseless loss of life from these shootings must be met with the full might of a policing response. SAPS can rest assured they have our metro’s full policing support, including safety camera footage and surveillance technology, as well as direct boots on the ground,” Hill-Lewis said. 

He said city enforcement officers are maintaining a heightened presence in the vicinity of various public transport interchanges to protect commuters and monitor the situation.

“The City will act to uphold the rule of law and support police to bring these violent criminals to book. I call on taxi industry leaders to rise above the violence and ensure peace and calm prevail,” the Mayor said. 

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, said the City’s enforcement agencies have responded to several shooting incidents in support of SAPS. 

Smith also called on the public to assist enforcement agencies where possible. 

“If you know who the perpetrators are, please report it so that they may be tracked down and stopped. We cannot tolerate a situation where thugs put innocent lives in harm’s way without consequence. The City has an anonymous tip-for-reward line, and I encourage anyone with information to please share it with us,” Smith said. 

Information can be shared via a 24-hour hotline at 0800 110077.