Motorists left to pick up the pieces in wake of violent taxi strike

Several Pretoria residents have been left to pick up the pieces and heal from bruises after Wednesday’s national taxi strike.

While some parts of Tshwane were mainly affected by jammed traffic, there were some isolated incidents of violence that affected motorists, which saw windscreens smashed and some people physically attacked by some of the protesters.

Traumatised mother of two Boitumelo Sepeng was driving in Hamilton Street, Arcadia, to fetch her children from school when she was attacked by a mob of men who were allegedly part of the strike.

Sepeng recounted to Rekord the incident.

“A man came to my window and I could not hear what he was saying, I did not know what was happening. At that stage there was no sign of violence. I opened the window to hear what he wanted to say and he grabbed my keys, opened the door and pulled me out of the car,” she said.

“I was shouted at, asked why I was working while they were striking. I told them I am not working and I was going to fetch my kids from school.

“I was slapped, pulled by my hair while being dragged to open the boot. I begged them not to hurt me and not to smash my car,” she said.

Once they found nothing in the boot, she was verbally abused and insulted and questioned why she had nothing and why her “husband”
did not drive the car.

“I told them that I am a single mom doing my hardest to provide for my children but that did not help. It seemed to enrage them even more,”
Sepeng said.

“They told me they are men and they have marked me and would teach me a lesson.

“Amid tears I asked them: ‘Lessons for what. For being a woman going to fetch her children?’ They violated me physically and emotionally.
Even today (Thursday) I am housebound I have not gone to the police to report because I am scared they will see me.”

Sepeng said she was helped by one of the taxi drivers who told the group to stop.

“He asked if they had no sisters and wives that they would treat me so badly. They then let me go. The man who intervened apologised, saying he was working with hooligans.”

Sepeng said at another blocked road, she met law enforcement officers who told her to go back (to the road where she was attacked).

Eventually, she was escorted by Tshwane metro police officers to her son’s school after explaining the incident.

“While driving to the school they (protesters) stopped me but the police intervened. The whole experience is emotional trauma. I’ve never cried in front of my kids but on Wednesday, I did.”

Another motorist Jan Klapwijk was driving to work when he was punched and had his car windscreen smashed with a baseball bat.

“The incident happened in Zambezi Drive in Montana while on my way to work,” he said.

“They had a roadblock and I managed to drive through but had to stop at the traffic lights. They (protesters) came from nowhere in numbers.
One of them was ready to hit my face with the bat but one of the marshalls stopped him.”

Klapwijk said he now had to pay over R3 000 for repairs to the car.

READ MORE: Tshwane suspends bus service due to ‘violent strike’

“It is sad that we have to be punished for doing nothing wrong while we cannot defend ourselves or be protected by officials. It is more frustrating that nothing will be done to stop this behaviour.

“A lot of people were affected by the lockdown just like them but they do not go around causing further abuse to others like the taxi sector did to us.”

Police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili said several cases of malicious damage to property and intimidation were opened after the protest but there were no arrests made yet.

Meanwhile, the National Taxi Alliance which planned the strike has since distanced itself from violent incidents and urged law enforcement to deal with those engaged in violent activities.

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