‘A contemplative man’: Taxi driver gunned down in Alex, mourned by colleagues and family

Neo Molobela holding a picture of her murdered brother, Simon Sepaka.
Image: Ziphozonke Lushaba/TimesLIVE

Nothing was stolen when taxi driver Simon Sepaka and a passenger were brutally gunned down on Thursday night in Alexandra, northern Johannesburg.

Sepaka and his still unidentified passenger are two of the six victims murdered between 6pm on Thursday and Friday morning.

Sepaka’s younger sister Neo Molobela and other family members showed TimesLIVE the Toyota vehicle in which Sepaka met his tragic and brutal end.

“Why did they have to kill them? His cellphone was still there, his jacket and cash, just less than R100,” Molobela sobbed.

The window on the passenger side of the vehicle — now parked in front of the family’s house — was smashed, temporarily covered with plastic sheeting. A male family member who did not want to be named opened the driver’s door and gestured inside.

“There were two shooters. One came from the left and fired through the passenger window and the other fired through Simon’s door which was partially open,” the family member said. Blood spatter, still visible on the inside of the hinge on the driver side door, seemed to confirm the open-door theory.

Taxi driver Simon Sepaka and his murdered passenger’s blood inside his Toyota Avante.
Image: Ziphozonke Lushaba/TimesLIVE

Molobela is angry. “If I could see [police minister] Bheki Cele now I will ask him why there are not enough police on our streets. If there were more police this could never have happened so casually.”

Molobela says her taxi driver brother’s death is heartbreaking, but the real pain will be felt by his 13- and 7-year-old children.

“My brother was a good man, he had no enemies. We are all still confused and shocked at his passing,” said Molobela, 36.

“I received the call that he was shot about ten minutes after midnight. I was in Diepsloot at the time and rushed to the place where he was killed, but by the time I arrived they had already taken him away.”

Molobela said her brother will be buried next week in Tzaneen.

Taxi drivers are calling for improved visible policing to combat the high crime rate in Alex.
Image: Ziphozonke Lushaba/TimesLIVE

Earlier on Friday, TimesLIVE was on the scene when angry taxi drivers gathered next to the ironically named Freedom Restaurant opposite the Alexandra police station.

Protesting drivers placed three tyres in the vehicle entrance to the police station and lit them. Members of the police and Johannesburg metro rushed to extinguish the flames minutes before minister Bheki Cele and Gauteng premier David Makhuru arrived in a blue light convoy. This reporter approached the taxi drivers for an interview but was initially waved away angrily.

“One of our brothers was taken last night. We don’t want to speak to the media, give us the police. We want answers from Cele,” an angry driver shouted.

When the minister and premier arrived under heavily armed police guard, the gathered taxi drivers made no secret of their feelings.

“This is not the first of our colleagues to be murdered in this area. Nothing ever comes from our murders. If they arrest somebody the courts normally let them go free,” a driver said. Another said the local station was a police station in name only.

“There is almost never a police van available when we report a matter. And if there is one they seldom go out. People arrested are scarce, but people ending up in prison almost never happens.”

High ranking officials were at all times guarded by heavily armed private security and police.
Image: Ziphozonke Lushaba/TimesLIVE

The chairperson of Alexandra CPF, Chris Mabunda, said the fast reaction of the police in arresting seven suspects on Friday afternoon has more to do with the community than with investigating skills.

“The community is angry and tired of senseless crimes and criminals ruling our streets. Community members immediately started co-operating and feeding SAPS important information,” Mabunda told TimesLIVE.

He said the age of the seven suspects (18-33) did not surprise him.

“A lot of the violent criminals are young boys. They do not respect their elders or the police.”

Mabunda said the same type of firearms — nine millimetre pistols — were used in the various attacks.

“Ballistics will tell the police a lot once the suspects’ weapons are tested.”

The drivers were still gathered outside the police station gates when TimesLIVE left the premises. Neither their numbers, nor their anger dwindling.

“Cele must close this station or bring us new cops. Cops who are not too lazy or scared to do their jobs,” a driver shouted.

“Simon was a great man. He had no enemies and was very quiet. It was not strange to see him sitting alone in his car contemplating life.”

Another said taxi drivers are some of the country’s hardest working citizens.

“You wake up at 04:00 in the morning so you can hit the road. You set yourself targets like a chicken meal and electricity for your household, and only go home after you hit that target.

“Now we live and work in fear. You don’t know if this passenger you pick up is a real customer or a murderer. The police must start doing their jobs!”

It is not only the drivers who “live in fear” of murderous criminals. This reporter spotted three young children armed with a hockey club and a golf club near the police station. When asked if they are on their way to play sport they laughed.

“No Baba, we are armed to defend our community,” they responded.

Maj-Gen Max Masha said police had worked hard to effect the seven arrests within 24 hours.

“I told the taxi drivers their coming here to show their anger is not something we take lightly. We deployed a lot of resources early this morning and thanks to input from the community, the arrests were made possible.”

TimesLIVE

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