1 dead, 2 hospitalised as transport rivals clash in Mpumalanga

One person died and two were hospitalised after conflict broke out between taxi drivers, affiliated with the Lebombo Taxi Association, and local transport operators in KaMaqhekeza in Mpumalanga yesterday.

It is alleged that taxi drivers brought in a security company to stop the local transport operators from carrying out their duties, citing that they were taking their customers.

A scuffle broke out earlier in the morning after personnel from the taxi association interrupted a meeting among local operators. This resulted in security company members allegedly shooting at the local transporters to disrupt the meeting.

The situation was then calm for a couple of hours before escalating again in the afternoon, resulting in three people being shot. Mxolisi Mabuza, a leader of community organisation Umbutho, says all they want is an opportunity to work and feed their families.

“We transport workers to the farms and learners to schools. There are clear boundaries between us and the taxis; their demand for us to halt operations is unjust,” says Mabuza.

One of the local transporters, who did not want to be named, told Corridor Gazette that he transported workers to the farms in the morning and some members of the security company shot at his car.

“This situation is life-threatening. I was stopped from transporting my clients to work in the morning. I did not stop and that is when the guys with big guns started shooting at us. Luckily, no one was hurt, but it could have been worse.”

It is also alleged that in their attempts to stop the local drivers from transporting children to school, the security personnel threatened the drivers with guns in the presence of learners. “The children have not gone to school today. This means the taxi drivers are a law unto themselves because they have managed to disrupt the lives of the community through their selfish ambitions,” he adds.

Lebombo Taxi Association chairperson Macabane Nkalanga says they are open to discussions with the disgruntled local drivers. He adds that the association does not have a problem with meter taxis, their main concern is the drivers’ operations because they are taking their routes.

“The drivers have invaded our routes for a long time now and we have sent out a warning before. They have now seemingly taken over our business because they have simmered into our space, even outnumbering our taxis.

“We don’t have a problem with meter taxis because they deliver clients to their doorstep and some of those are elderly. However, we will not sit back and watch the drivers take over our business just like that,” he says.

Nkalanga adds that learners old enough to take taxis should use them and not the local transport operators.

“The meter taxis collect learners that are fairly young, but the ones old enough to take a taxi should do so. We have also noticed that the [drivers] have even moved to the space of transporting people going on vacations to Mozambique. About 20 Avanzas have been spotted taking people to Mozambique since September.

“We are the ones that are supposed to do that, not them. They don’t have permits and they are not an association. If they want to join the industry they must go about it the right way. Right now, they are stepping on our toes and we will not sit back and watch.”

He distanced himself and the association from the shooting. “We have hired the security company in question to monitor the situation and ensure that our routes don’t get tampered with. The shooting was not an instruction from us and we will not answer on it.”

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli confirmed that a case of a discharge of a firearm in public is under investigation.

“Police in Tonga received a call about a shooting at Naas and immediately attended to the scene. Upon arrival, the police did not find anything alarming, but they were shown cartridges by members of the public. I can also confirm that the cartridges came from a high-calibre rifle.”

At the time, the police were monitoring the situation.