Cape Town residents are applauding local taxi drivers and owners after seven young men were reportedly assaulted at the Nyanga taxi rank on Wednesday morning.

The victims, aged between 15 and 27, had been involved in robbing passengers which led to their brutal encounter.

The assault led to the death of two of the males aged 23 and 26 years. The men were discovered near the Oscar Mpetha High School in Nyanga township.

According to a taxi driver, who wished to remain anonymous due to fears of retaliation, the victims had been involved in robbing passengers for some time.

“Those people have been robbing passengers for some time now, they have been terrorising passengers and making drivers look like criminals,” he said.

The incident unfolded when the victims were driving an allegedly hijacked Toyota Avanza and were ordered to turn around and go to the Nyanga taxi rank.

“They were followed several times by taxi drivers to make sure that they got the right people,” said the taxi driver.

“On Wednesday, they robbed passengers as always, but they didn’t know that they were being followed.

When they got to the Nyanga taxi rank, the victims were allegedly assaulted inside a container and forced to consume poison.

The taxi driver justifies their actions.

“These boys have been terrorising passengers and Avanza drivers for too long. It serves them right. Now that we have started to fight back, we won’t stop. I don’t think they will survive and others will follow the two that are already dead,” said the driver.

Speaking to Scrolla.Africa at the place where the victims were dumped, residents expressed little sympathy for them.

“I heard that some had their private parts and tongues cut out, and the way they cried showed that they were in great pain,” said an anonymous resident from the area.

Resident Amanda Napa commended the taxi drivers and owners.

“The drivers have shown that they can fight crime. If they can do this at all the hotspots, criminals will think twice before committing a crime.”

A resident in Lower Crossroads expressed relief.

”It serves them right. I wish those who are in the hospital can also die because they were robbing us while [drinking] Russian Bear vodka with a straw. We are going to have a lovely peaceful weekend without them,” said the resident.

Western Cape SAPS spokesperson, Brigadier Novela Potelwa, confirmed that murder and attempted murder case dockets have been opened for investigation regarding the assault of seven males at the Nyanga taxi rank.

“Two victims, aged 23 and 26, succumbed to their injuries, while the remaining five victims, aged 15 to 27, are currently fighting for their lives in a local hospital.”

Nkululeko Sityebi, the spokesperson for the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) said he was not present at the taxi rank and said he was unaware of the details.

“I don’t have the information because I was attending a family crisis. I don’t have any information. I only read about it on social media,” he said.

Pictured above: Seven males were allegedly assaulted at the Nyanga taxi rank, they have been accused of robbing passengers using the hijacked Avanza

Image source: Supplied