“We were so scared, I jumped on the back of a bakkie to avoid the bullets.”
These are the words of a parking attendant on duty around the Fochville’s CBD.
Some streets in this area became a temporary no-go zone as the fight between Fochville’s two rival taxi associations suddenly intensified last week.
As far as could be determined, members of the Greater Fochville Transport Services (GFTS) and the Vuka Uzenzele Taxi Association (Vuta) started arguing about who should pick up passengers at the corner of Kraalkop- and President Streets just before 14:00 on Thursday, 8 February. As the argument grew more heated, individual members pulled out weapons, including at least one firearm and pangas.
Although members of the Fochville police arrived at the scene within minutes, the problems had escalated to such an extent that flying bullets hit a detective’s vehicle.
A member of Vuta, fleeing from rivals, some wielding pangas, even ran through Dr Wouter de Wet’s medical practice before running out into Kraalkop Street again.
He then ran across the street into the supermarket opposite the practice.
Security camera footage from inside the shop shows how the owners tried to close the shop seconds before the fleeing Vuta member ran for safety.
He tried to wield off attackers hitting him with pangas and hid behind a freezer and stacks of cold drinks and other goods before managing to escape.
The attackers were part of a group of about seven people, some of whom were seemingly trying to stop the attack.
The panga-yielding assailants temporarily turned their fury toward the shop owners before the police managed to bring the situation under control.
Although the wounded Vuta member was later hospitalised, he was one of five people arrested after the incident.
This same member had been attacked before.
The individual suspects were charged for various crimes, including attempted murder, pointing a firearm and assault.
They have already appeared in the Fochville Magistrate’s Court, where the case was postponed.
According to members of the public with whom the Herald spoke, some of the problems between the associations stem from Vuta charging passengers less than the GFTS.
