There is a direct link between the taxi industry & bus attacks, says Intercape

Intercape said operations have been hampered by taxi operators in several towns across the Eastern Cape.

The long-distance bus company on Tuesday briefed Parliament’s Tourism Committee about ongoing violence in the sector.

Since the beginning of 2021, it has recorded more than 150 incidents, including shootings, intimidation, assault, and extortion. This year alone there’ve been at least 31 stonings and 21 shootings.

Intercape’s Johann Ferreira said currently Mthatha is the only place they can operate from in the Eastern Cape. “There are certain towns where Intercape for the last few months, cannot operate from. That is Idutywa, Butterworth, Ngcobo, Tsomo, Cofimvaba, Gcuwa, and Namaqua. This is a typical example of industry cleansing, in other words, get rid of a competitor. How do you get rid of them? You terrorize them until they go away,” he said.

Ferreira has shown MPs a social media post featuring a photo of a bus. The bus was allegedly bought by a representative of a taxi association, to introduce services in the same towns that Intercape has been forbidden to operate in.

He said Intercape reported this to authorities, and this particular coach was impounded in Cape Town, because it had no legal authority to carry passengers. “They impounded the bus on a Saturday, the Sunday night the attacks resumed in Cape Town,” said Ferriera.

He said the resumption indicates a direct link between the attacks and the taxi industry.

-EWN

In other news – ‘Advocate Teffo insinuated I slept with Police Minister Bheki Cele’: Kelly Khumalo reveals

South African songstress Kelly Khumalo has hit back at advocate Teffo Malesela saying he is a clout chaser. This follows after he made startling allegations against Kelly. He claimed that he allegedly fired the fatal shot that claimed the life of her then-boyfriend, and baby daddy Senzo Meyiwa.

The football star was gunned down in 2014 in Vosloorus at the home of Kelly Khumalo. It is unclear who murdered him since new details emerge every time, and new details indicate that it was a contract murder rather than a robbery gone wrong. Learn More