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Masondo could not confirm the motive of the shooting.
Rea Vaya bus driver’s door after the driver was shot and killed in Protea Glen, Soweto, on Monday night, 4 February 2025, parked at Rea Vaya Bus Depot, Meadowlands. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen
One person has been arrested and will appear in court in connection with the murders of the two Rea Vaya drivers last month.
The suspect, a 27-year-old male, was arrested in Linden on Wednesday and is facing two counts of murders of the two Reya Vaya drivers, police confirmed on Thursday.
This is the first arrest since the two drivers were shot and killed in a hail of bullets in two separate incidents in Soweto last month on the feeder routes by unknown gunmen.
ALSO READ: Confusion in Rea Vaya driver killings arrest as police deny claims
The first shooting, which occurred in Mapetla, was riddled with at least eight bullets, while the second bus in Protea Glen was hit with 17 bullets.
One arrested for Rea Vaya murders
Colonel Mavela Masondo said: “Police can confirm that a 27-year-old male was arrested in Linden, Johannesburg, and charged with the murder of two Reya Vaya drivers.”
Masondo could not confirm the motive of the shooting. However, he said more arrests are imminent as investigations are ongoing.
“We can not divulge more information to avoid jeopardising the investigation, which is still ongoing because we have other suspects that we are looking for,” Masondo said.
ALSO READ: Rea Vaya suspends services until further notice after shooting of bus drivers
At the time of the incident, the appointed Piotrans Business Rescue Practitioner, Mahier Tayob offered a reward of R100 000 for information that could lead to the successful prosecution of the perpetrators
In November 2024, following the launch of the feeder buses on select routes in Soweto, Rea Vaya’s operations were halted in a standoff after members of the taxi industry cited the new buses’ rollout without proper consultation and use registrations from outside Gauteng.
One of the victims in the shooting last month was a 31-year-old driver who had only been with the bus company since December 2024.
ALSO READ: Rea Vaya bus services suspended until further notice, Kunene to mediate
The suspect is expected to appear before the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 24 March 2025.
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