A woman passenger has been shot dead, and two others have been left injured after a bus they were travelling in came under a hail of bullets.
The Eastern Cape transport department shared this information, stating that the co-driver of the bus was among the injured.
According to the department, the bus was on its way from Mthatha to Cape Town on Wednesday afternoon when it was shot at by unidentified attackers on R61 between Cofimvaba and Ngcobo.
The injured were rushed to a nearby healthcare facility for urgent medical care.
The department has denounced the attack on the long-distance bus operated by Makalala Trans.
Eastern Cape transport MEC Xolile Nqatha expressed shock and outrage over what he described as a barbaric and criminal act.
“We cannot allow such acts of violence to go unpunished,” Nqatha said.
“We must swiftly bring those responsible for this heinous act to justice. We cannot compromise the safety of our people and the integrity of our transport system.”
Turf-related disputes
Nqatha further said the shooting occurred during a period of high demand for long-distance travel, raising suspicions that the attack might be linked to competition or turf-related disputes within the transport sector.
“This incident comes at a time when many of our citizens are traveling for seasonal reasons. We cannot tolerate intimidation or violence aimed at disrupting legitimate transport operations.”
The MEC urged law enforcement authorities to intensify their investigation and appealed to the public to assist police with any information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
“Every citizen’s right to choose their mode of transport must be respected and protected. Violence and intimidation have no place on our roads or in our communities,” Nqatha said.
Additionally, the department extended condolences to the family of the deceased passenger and wished those injured a full and speedy recovery.
Police said no one has been arrested and investigations continue.
