The man who is accused of killing a taxi boss in Cape Town has made an appearance in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.
Charmaine Bailey, aged 56, was shot and killed during daylight hours at her office in Wynberg.
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This incident occurred in May after she had finished a meeting with taxi drivers in the area.
Bailey held the position of chairperson for the Wynberg/Hout Bay Taxi Association and was the spokesperson for the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Cata).
The Western Cape has been experiencing ongoing violence related to taxis.
Ricardo Mackenzie, the MEC for mobility in the Western Cape, expressed satisfaction with the suspect’s arrest in Hout Bay on July 1.
He stated, “I am thankful for the progress made by the SAPS in their investigation. We will closely monitor this case and maintain communication with the SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) until a successful conviction is achieved.”
Mackenzie added, “Only successful convictions will put a stop to or significantly reduce the violent incidents within the minibus taxi industry. I recently met with the provincial leadership of the SAPS and the NPA to establish a Joint Task Team aimed at addressing violence associated with minibus taxis. The task team’s main focus will be apprehending the hired killers, as well as the individuals who finance and order these murders and other criminal activities that affect the minibus taxi industry, such as extortion and organized crime.”
Mackenzie assured that his department would fully support law enforcement in every possible way to bring the perpetrators of minibus taxi-related crimes to justice.
Eric Ntabazalila, the spokesperson for the NPA in the Western Cape, confirmed that a 32-year-old man has been officially charged with murder and made an appearance in court.
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Ntabazalila stated, “He has been charged with the murder of Charmaine Bailey, as well as the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.”
The court hearing has been adjourned until July 18 for a bail application.