Moyahabo Mabeba
Two minibus taxis and a patrol sedan have been set alight amid the ongoing feud between rival taxi associations from Seshego and Mankweng, leaving commuters around Polokwane stranded.
With no ceasefire in sight between the taxi organisations, the Polokwane Municipality in Limpopo has suspended its buses, fearing that they could be torched.
Marks Mamabolo said he had just started using the municipal buses because they’re cheap but now he has no other option following the decision to cancel them.
Municipal spokesperson Thipa Selala confirmed that the buses have been temporarily suspended with immediate effect.
“The decision was taken as a result of the current taxi unrest that has been taking place in the city since Friday. The municipality prioritises the public interest as well as the safety and well-being of its stakeholders and assets,” said Selala.
The most affected passengers are those who commute to Polokwane from the townships of Seshego and Mankweng and those who travel to Mall of the North.
Meikie Ratsoma said she couldn’t go to work in Polokwane because there were no taxis on the road.
“The fights between these taxi associations are affecting us badly. We have nothing to do with their squabbles over routes but we are caught in between,” she said.
Spokesperson of Mankweng Taxi Associations, Frans Kgasago, confirmed that their taxis were set alight.
“We have been fighting over the routes and as a result, we have lost some of our vehicles,” said Kgasago.
His counterpart from Seshego Taxi Associations, Ali Mothiba, said he doesn’t know who burnt the vehicles.
“It is not clear who burnt the taxis but we will leave that to the police to investigate.”
Mike Maringa, the spokesperson for the provincial Department of Transport and Community Safety, said they are trying to broker peace between the associations.
He said, “On Friday we held a meeting with the association in a bid to end the violence through peace talks. At the moment we have deployed public order police and other law enforcement agencies, especially on the routes that were affected by the unrests.”
