SAPS in talks with govt to address criminality in transport sector, says Bheki Cele

Police Minister Bheki Cele on Thursday said the government was looking at addressing the issue of various transport sectors affected by criminality in the Western Cape.

Long-distance bus company Intercape has had busses and drivers attacked in a wave of intimidation blamed on the taxi industry.

Urban bus service Golden Arrow suffered losses amid protests by ‘amaphela’, who run a taxi service within communities such as Nyanga where there were incidents of violence recently.

MyCiTi buses have also recently been targeted in taxi protests in Hout Bay.

Cele told the media on Thursday that in August this year, there were 38 cases related to attacks on taxis and buses and 16 people were arrested.

He said some of these issues must be solved at the transport level and police were in talks with the transport ministry and other authorities to find solutions.

“Transport matters are not supposed to be transport matters. But when these taxis are impounded, police are invited to fight the violence that comes out of that,” Cele said.

The minister said more police officers were deployed along bus routes to help address violent attacks.

Meanwhile, Democratic Alliance Western Cape spokesperson on transport Ricardo Mackenzie accused the police minister of attempting to shirk responsibility and deflect the blame from the South African Police Service (Saps) by arguing that transport matters were not meant to be police matters.

“This is not further from the truth, as it is Saps’ continued [responsibility] to address the issues of violent crimes that have allowed these heinous crimes to flourish. Long distance bus attacks, intimidation, extortion and taxi violence cannot be described as anything other than brazen criminality, which SAPS has failed to get under control,” Mackenzie said.

-EWN

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