Public Order Police are monitoring Nyanga in Cape Town after several busses and vehicles were set alight on Thursday morning. Picture: Supplied.
Public Order Police have been deployed to Nyanga in Cape Town to restore calm after several busses and vehicles were set alight on Thursday morning, by unidentified suspects.
Four Golden Arrow buses and one truck from the City of Cape Town were set alight, according to the metro’s Traffic Services Department.
Golden Arrow Bus Services spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer confirmed that four of their buses were petrol bombed.
Dyke-Beyer said passengers had to flee for their lives as petrol bombs were hurled at the vehicles.
“Four of our buses were targeted and thrown with petrol bombs. Fortunately, our drivers managed to get the buses to safety and clear the passengers before the buses burnt out, but we’ve lost three buses.
“We don’t know what exactly is happening in Nyanga. Emergency services and public order policing are on their way. No injuries have been reported. This just came out of the blue,” Dyke-Beyer told CapeTalk.
She said it was not clear at this stage why the buses were targeted.
In an update on its Facebook page, Golden Arrow Bus Services said it would terminate all Nyanga bus services from Borcherds Quarry road.
“Please note that as a result of four of our buses being set alight in Nyanga, we are not able to operate in the area and will be starting and terminating all Nyanga services from Borcherds Quarry.
“We condemn these senseless acts of violence and call on the authorities [to] fulfill their mandate of keeping our employees and passengers safe and ensuring that the perpetrators face the full might of the law.”
Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, said Public Order Police, supported by the SA Police Service (Saps) in Nyanga and metro police, were monitoring the situation in the township.
“The City of Cape Town Traffic Services assisted by Nyanga Saps and law enforcement conducted a compliance operation early this morning, that focused on illegal sedan taxis.
“Saps deployment will remain in the area until calm has been restored,” Swartbooi said in a statement.
WATCH: Soweto no go as protesting residents block roads
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
