Journalist witnesses taxi violence first-hand
The taxi that trainee journalist, Sethabile Nkosi, was travelling in, was stopped and the driver mercilessly beaten last Friday.
The savage beating of a Sizwe Taxi Association driver by other drivers and owners last Friday afternoon, is proof taxi feuds in the Newcastle area are still rife.
These feuds have endured for more than two years, yet 2013 is said to have seen the worst, with some members of public dragged into the violence. Two weeks ago, the Newcastle Advertiser reported on an incident where a pedestrian was killed by a run-away taxi. It was reported the driver of this taxi was attempting to avoid a mob armed with sjamboks and knobkerries at the time.
Sethabile Nkosi, a Newcastle Advertiser trainee journalist who reported on the taxi feuds, described her personal experience with taxi violence last week.
“When we got to the Industrial Area, an unknown vehicle drove next to us, and two men told the driver to pull over. At first, I did not pay attention to what was going on, but when the driver ordered us to close all windows and to lock the door, I started to worry. As we drove along Asiphephe Drive, a group of taxi owners and drivers were standing at the bus stop and attempted to stop the vehicle.”
“That is when the taxi picked up speed and skipped a red traffic light. I was really scared because there were four cars chasing our taxi. The driver then gave me and the other three passengers an order to tell the perpetrators we were all friends and were going to Madadeni. Due to the speed at which the taxi was going, I fell and injured my left arm rolling from one side of the taxi to the other.”
“When I got up, I could not recognise where I was. A red bakkie pulled in front of our taxi and a group of men exited the bakkie and started beating the taxi driver up. The others then asked us where we were going; I was scared so I told them the truth, not what I was told to say. After the beating, the taxi driver was told by one of the perpetrators he would be ‘dealt with’ after he had dropped us off. The only time I relaxed was when I got out of that taxi and got home.”
The taxi feuds have claimed many lives in the area, while taxi associations claim the dispute was solved in their latest meeting, during which routes were allocated to different taxi associations.
“We do not condone violence that has been carried out by our drivers but we also condemn those who do not follow the rules that were given out. We urge passengers to report such matters in our offices, so we can deal with those involved,” concluded Muzi Nkosi from the Bambanani Taxi Association.
