Lowvelders say taxi operators hold the community hostage

Lowvelders have expressed total outrage over the taxi associations’ protest against Buscor on Wednesday, likening the operators’ behaviour to dictators keeping various towns hostages in order to get their way.

Lowvelder’s Facebook page was inundated with comments from angry residents calling for the protests to end as Mbombela and other parts of the Lowveld came to a standstill due to burning vehicles on some streets and illegal road closures.

“Hold innocent, poor working people hostage just so taxis [operators] that are the law in SA can get their way once again,” commented Rosa de Sousa on the Lowvelder’s page.

“Is it not enough that load-shedding will be the cause of much more unemployment, and now this, too? The innocent people have no work, no pay. Or will the taxi associations be giving each home one bag of maize meal and a T-shirt, too? And of course, no law enforcement available once again, so a court order has no meaning.”

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Another commenter, Bihnie Ledwaba, posted that she had also had enough of the taxi protests. “The level of entitlement of taxi owners and drivers is beyond [belief]. Communities must stand their ground. This war is directed at us. Where are our rights to choose where we want to spend money?” she said. She said the taxi industry is bullying society.

Imaan Milanzi posted that the taxi operators are using the people as their “bargaining chips”.
“Is it not common knowledge that buses offer better and more affordable services than their [taxis operators’] unruly behaviour and chaotic service?” he said.

Themba Given Thibela said that people should fight back against the abuse from taxi drivers and owners now. “We are free to use any transport we see fit for our needs and we can’t be forced to use this expensive means of transportation. As commuters, let’s claim back our freedom by fighting back, or else people are going to lose jobs,” he said.

Mfundo Innocent Mncina said the community at large should not allow the taxi associations to feel as if they are in charge of the country.

“The taxi industry is nothing without the community, and yet they are allowed to disrespect their daily bread and butter. They should be taught a lesson and not by anyone else than the community.”

Boitumelo Mokoena suggested the community boycott the taxi operators.
“People must boycott the taxi business. They can’t force us to choose our mode of transportation. Taxis are a business. Citizens have a right to choose who they frequent…”

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Large parts of the Lowveld erupted into chaos yesterday morning, leaving many commuters stranded as taxi associations from the area blocked off major Buscor routes and depots.

The taxi operators had begun the protest in Pienaar at 11:00 on Tuesday, when a Buscor bus was burnt. They continued into other parts of the Lowveld throughout Wednesday morning and into the early afternoon.

Road closures and pockets of protesters popped up across the Lowveld, including the Mbombela CBD and the Government Complex in Riverside, which ended in clouds of tear gas and the discharging of rubber bullets as the Mpumalanga police attempted to clear the roads.

Other affected areas included parts of the R40, parts of the N4, the Buscor depots in Mbombela and Nkomazi, Mahushu, Pienaar, KaNyamazane, Matsulu, KaBokweni, Barberton Ext 15, Bushbuckridge, the Numbi Gate, Karino, Msholozi and Plaston.

The Lowveld Security Joint Operation Command (JOC) was activated just before 06:00 on Wednesday in response to the protest, and provided detailed updates to the public as soon as it had confirmed the information.

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The JOC reported that at 07:00 yesterday, a fuel tanker had been pulled across the road under the bridge near Canary Walk in Mbombela. Later on, protesters set a truck, near We Buy Cars in the Riverside area, alight and blocked off roads with cars, trucks and heaps of sand.

According to Nora Fakude, Buscor’s executive chairperson, the reason for the protest is that the taxi associations want the Buscor buses to only operate in the mornings and evenings, and only ferry people who have tickets. She said the Ehlanzeni Business Forum is also asking for 30% shares in her company. She confirmed that she had received a letter to this effect.

She denied having insulted the taxi operators and walking out of the meeting that was called by the provincial deputy police commissioner, Thulani Phahla, on September 26.

Fakude said she was prepared to sit down with the taxi associations, but instead they walked out of the meeting. She said she would not be attending the second meeting scheduled for yesterday, out of fear for her safety.

“I will send representatives to the meeting to represent our company. We are not operating illegally, as we have permits and routes we are operating on. So we don’t know why they are targeting us. We have commuters who knock off during the day and those who report for duty that we must accommodate, because they also buy our tickets. So their demands are unfair to the people we serve,” she said.

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A provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, said they are on the ground monitoring the situation and aim to clear all the roads.

Meanwhile, the taxi associations have said they will not address the media until they have met with Buscor’s management.

The Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport said it would meet with the taxi associations and Buscor to find solutions.

The spokesperson for South African National Taxi Council’s Ehlanzeni region, Muntu Gama, said it can only give a proper comment after it has met with Buscor’s management. He also denied the allegations that it had bullied commuters and Lowvelders by holding the protest and keeping everyone from going to work.
“However, people are welcome to come forward with the names of the operators who bullied them, and we will deal with them accordingly,” he said.