A 32-year-old suspect was arrested by Western Cape police on Saturday, in connection with the murder of Charmaine Bailey.
COURTESY: Facebook - Charmaine BaileyFifty-three-year-old Bailey, a leader of the Cape
Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) regional taxi council, was shot dead while
attending a meeting in May 2023, in Wynberg.
‘’The suspect was apprehended on Saturday in Houtbay during
a police tracing operation. [He] is expected to appear in the Wynberg
Magistrate’s court on Monday. The suspect has been charged with murder,’’ said
Brigadier Novela Potelwa.
The Western Cape’s Mobility MEC, Ricardo Mackenzie, has
welcomed the arrest.
‘’I am grateful for this breakthrough and progress made by
the SAPS in the investigation. We will monitor this case and continue to follow
up with the SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) until there is a successful conviction. Only
successful convictions will stop or significantly reduce violent incidents in
the minibus taxi industry,’’ said Mackenzie.
The MEC said he recently met with the provincial leadership
of the SAPS and the NPA and established a Joint Task Team to deal with minibus
taxi-related violence.
‘’The focus of the task team will be to go after the
hitmen, but also the paymasters who fund and order the murders and other crimes
impacting the minibus taxi industry, such as extortion and other elements of
organized crime.’’
‘’My department will fully support law enforcement in
whichever way possible to bring perpetrators of minibus taxi related crimes to
book,’’ added Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape’s Mobility MEC.
Done By: Mitchum George
No comments:
Post a Comment