Two men were shot dead and another person was wounded at the Palm taxi rank on Main Road in Delft, Cape Town, early on Thursday, 22 October 2026.

Police believe the shooting was taxi-related, according to a preliminary report. This is a developing story based on a single report, and no arrests had been reported at the time of writing.

What happened at the rank

The shooting happened at about 05:10 at the Palm taxi rank on Main Road in Delft, according to a preliminary police report. Two men died. A third person was wounded and taken to a nearby medical facility; that person's condition has not been reported.

Police have not released the identities of the dead, and we do not name them.

What police say

SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel F.C. Van Wyk confirmed the reported time. Crime scene experts examined the area. Delft police registered two cases of murder and one of attempted murder.

Investigators have given no further detail on a motive or on suspects. Police asked anyone with information to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or send an anonymous tip through the MySAPS app. Anyone later arrested is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Taxi violence in Delft

The rank was in the news in March. Two people were shot dead near the Palm rank on the evening of 16 March, in what police described as suspected taxi-related violence, and police deployed officers to taxi ranks and routes in Delft to monitor "simmering tensions". Days earlier, at the Voorbrug rank, two people linked to rival associations and a bystander were killed, according to published coverage.

Western Cape Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais said at the time that four of the five deaths across the two incidents were linked to the taxi industry. Police have not said whether Thursday's shooting is connected to those cases.

What we do not yet know

  • Who the victims are, and whether they were taxi operators, drivers or commuters.
  • The condition of the wounded person.
  • Whether anyone has been arrested.
  • Whether the shooting is linked to the March incidents or to a dispute between associations. Police have not said.