Sleepless nights caused by agonising surgery and mental trauma is the current lifestyle of the taxi driver who survived a horrid shooting by a ruthless motorist in July.
The taxi driver, whose identity is being withheld as he fears for his safety, is currently recovering at his home in Soweto, where he hopes to get back on his feet and behind the wheel in order to put food on the table again.
Read the initial article here:
https://roodepoortnorthsider.co.za/301439/suspect-arrested-after-brazen-shooting-of-a-taxi-driver/
The very soft-spoken man was visited by the Northsider to talk about how he was coping after being discharged from hospital in August.
Although it’s been almost three months since he left Leratong hospital, he said his condition has not yet improved as he is unable to stand or walk a long distance, and cannot even bathe himself.
Adding insult to injury is the fact that he is unable to pay for basic needs such as rent and groceries, since his situation has forced him to take time off, if not retire, if his injured body fails to recover fully.
What’s unfortunate about the taxi industry is that it’s informal, basically a no-work, no-pay type of environment.
The ordeal has set him back seriously, as he is now struggling to fend for his family. Telling the Northsider journalist his version of events was like reliving the brazen life-threatening day.
Read more here:
https://roodepoortnorthsider.co.za/306369/taxi-drivers-assailant-granted-bail-on-strict-conditions-murder-accused-aj-lubbe-out-on-bail-for-ruimsig-taxi-shooting-web/
He took his time explaining the entire incident, which ended when the taxi he was driving plunged into the perimeter fence of the Ruimsig Boulevard Shopping Centre on Doreen Road.
“It was on Friday, 26 July – I went to the SPAR at the shopping centre to get some breakfast and left immediately afterwards. While idling at the traffic lights, waiting to join Doreen Road, I noticed a Ford bakkie coming in the opposite direction,” he explained. He said the bakkie was coming from Poortview on Malcolm Road, and turned to the north, onto Doreen Road, in the same direction as he did.
This road has two lanes from the intersection when travelling towards the hill; however, the right lane soon merges into the left lane. The taxi driver said the bakkie driver attempted to join the left lane, which he was already in, almost bumping into him. “I tried to swerve away from him, and luckily we did not bump each other. From there, I drove to the next turn, where I was looking for a spot to park and eat my food. While doing so, I noticed that the bakkie driver had parked a few metres away from me. The driver jumped out, brandishing a gun, and started shooting in my direction,” the tearful taxi driver said.
Read more:
https://roodepoortnorthsider.co.za/302009/taxi-shooter-remanded-in-custody-for-further-probing/
He went on to say that, in a panic, he reversed the taxi back onto Doreen Road. However, the man kept coming and firing more shots until he drove the taxi into the fence. He said that the gunfire did not stop.
“I kept hearing gunshots hitting the taxi, so I jumped out of the car on the passenger side and ran into the shopping centre through the hole in the fence that was made by the impact,” he explained.
He said he ran a couple of metres towards the patrons before he collapsed to the ground, bleeding. “I couldn’t feel my right arm while I was running; I thought it was going to fall off. I lost consciousness then, and the next thing I knew, I woke up in hospital a day or two later,” he lamented.
His version of this devastating incident cleared the rumour that the incident stemmed from a road rage incident.
To this day, the taxi driver says he wonders what triggered such a violent act by his assailant. The man behind the shooting was identified as the 25-year-old Johannes Lubbe, who was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Lubbe made a number of court appearances before he was granted bail of R10 000 which was accompanied by very strict conditions on 1 November.
However, the Dobsonville, Roodepoort, Leratong, Johannesburg Taxi Association (Dorljota) was not pleased with the court’s ruling.
The spokesperson person for Dorljota, Itumeleng Chambata, said, “We are very disappointed about the way our drivers are treated. They are treated as less than human beings. The injured operator has a hand injury, preventing him from using his hand, and this means he is unable to feed his family”.
Any member of public who would like to help the driver with necessities such as food parcels and other expenses can send an email to sison@caxton.co.za, and the offer will be passed on.
