Raining sticks and stones with possible bullet storms

Taxi wars continued to wreak havoc last week, as sticks, pangas, knobkieries, bricks and rocks were used in the ongoing fighting.

The first incidence of violence occurred on Thursday, when taxi drivers from an oSizweni Taxi Association allegedly attempted to take business for the Long Distance Route (LDR) – a route they apparently do not have rights over.

These taxi drivers claimed to be the biological owners of the specific route, saying they had originally owned the rank.

The drivers who usually work these routes confronted the oSizweni drivers on their stance, and a fight involving more than 40 people broke out.

Shots were fired, bricks were thrown, and hits were taken.

Amit the shocked civilian crowd, people scurried for cover, with some commuters choosing the Ncandu River as a safe spot to hide.

The fence surrounding the taxi rank was also damaged in the fight as civilians broke through to escape the violence.

In total, 11 taxis were damaged in the fight, and concrete municipal bins were broken and used as weapons.

Two people were seriously injured. A second incident occurred on Friday morning at approximately 3.20am. Another violent encounter occurred between warring taxi associations, and two people were shot. Police spokesperson, Captain Shooz Magudulela said: “Three people were detained for malicious damage to property, and unlawful discharging of a firearm.”

He said the taxi rank was closed until the Department of Transport intervened.

However, municipal officials and taxi associations confirmed this closure was only limited to the LDR’s.

“Police are monitoring the taxi rank and have increased the man power by calling other stations, the POP unit and the K9 unit to assist,” concluded Captain Magudulela.

However, Brigadier Bhekani Buthelazi said although police would be monitoring the situation, it now fell to the municipality to address the matter.

“The taxi rank is a tenant of the municipality. They need to improve the structures managing it as the taxi rank’s overseeing body.”

The matter was addressed during a council meeting on February 24. Chief Traffic Officer, Ashok Anandhaw, said the South African National Taxi Associations had been notified of the situation and met to discuss the matter.

“The organisation suggested bringing in a sixth taxi association to deal with the LDRs.

Currently we only have five associations, and one of the associations is seen to have monopolised a part of the industry, which is why there are these outbreaks of violence.”

The Amajuba Regional Taxi Forum is currently tabling the motion. As the custodians of the rank, Mayor Afzul Rehman believed the municipality had not yet done enough to address the matter.

“Over a year has passed since the last war, and the boom gates we promised are not yet up!

“We have been taking the matter lightly, this needs to be changed – now,” he said.

A resolution was taken to ensure more control was kept over the taxi rank, even if this made the lives of taxi drivers miserable.

One of the causes of the delays in the boom gate systems, which had been proposed for the taxi rank to manage traffic flow, was the unexpected price increase of the project.

“We have to expedite this process. The adjustment budget will be decided soon and this expenditure needs to be prioritised.”

Chief Anandhaw confirmed that stringent measures would be placed on the working hours of the taxi rank as well, and the LDRs would be moved to a different section of the taxi rank for now.