UPDATE: Arrest made for Maitland “road rage” stabbing

An arrest has officially been made in connection with the stabbing incident that occurred in Maitland last month. A 28-year-old man was arrested on a charge of attempted murder on Monday.

This is after SANTACO in the Western Cape announced last week that the taxi driver and the owner of the minibus taxi seen in the stabbing incident in Maitland were expected to hand themselves over to police on Friday, 11 July.

Western Cape SAPS said the 28-year-old suspect is expected in court on Wednesday, 16 July.

The violent altercation, which took place on 26 June at the intersection of Canon and Voortrekker Roads, was caught on camera and has been widely circulated on social media.

Police have confirmed that a case of attempted murder was opened after they were alerted to the footage, which shows a man believed to be a taxi driver stabbing a 48-year-old motorist multiple times. Authorities are now appealing for eyewitnesses, including the person who filmed the video, to come forward and assist in the investigation.

In an interview with the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mandla Hermanus, Chairperson of SANTACO Western Cape, confirmed that both the driver and the owner of the taxi will present themselves to police.

“We have already contacted Law Enforcement officers, the Taxi Violence Unit in particular, and the driver and the owner and the executive members of that association will visit SAPs [Friday] morning at 08:00 to hand over this driver to the police so that he can face the full might of the law,” he said.

Hermanus said the footage shocked the taxi industry leadership, adding that SANTACO had not been aware of the incident until the video began circulating.

“It’s very sad to see one of our drivers behaving in that manner, which was absolutely barbaric and definitely uncalled for,” Hermanus said.

Despite the taxi’s registration number not being visible in the video, Hermanus said they were able to identify the owner of the vehicle through taxi association stickers found on the vehicle.

“We were able to identify the owner of the vehicle, as well as the driver… it belongs to a certain primary association that operates in the Gugulethu area,” Hermanus explained.

He condemned the incident and emphasised that the driver would never again operate under SANTACO.

“This is not what we want to be known for as the minibus taxi industry,” he said.

Hermanus further renewed calls for reforms, including driver registration and universal taxi branding, to prevent future incidents. He expressed hope for the victim’s recovery.

“We are ready and willing to offer all kinds of support… and we apologise on behalf of the minibus taxi industry.”

This article has been updated to include information on the arrest of a suspect.