Taxi rank under the spotlight
Locally, the project has included the arrests of a number of alleged drug dealers, mules and possible suspects linked to a number of murder cases. Firearms and other weapons have also been confiscated.
Police have been clamping down on crime throughout the country.
These movements are part of the national programme, ‘operation Fiela’. Nationally, the police received criticism for allegedly abusing the powers given to them in connection with the operation.
Locally, the project has included the arrests of a number of alleged drug dealers, mules and possible suspects linked to a number of murder cases. Firearms and other weapons have also been confiscated.
On Friday, an operation was held within the taxi rank to further clamp down on the trade and the links the industry has with a number of murders committed in connection with warring taxi associations.
The need for the proverbial clamp to be tightened on the trade was due to reports linking possible violence from the taxi associations towards the bus trade. Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Simon Luthuli said: “We are clamping down because we are mindful of the pleas of the community. On Friday we conducted an operation to see which taxis were operating illegally, and we searched for illegal firearms and other weapons.”
W/O Luthuli explained the operations would continue, and police would be working to deport illegal immigrants as well as providing comprehensive ground coverage of the various illegal activities ongoing in the greater Newcastle area. “We want to clean up the streets as much as possible.”
Following the recent violence linked to taxi wars, Newcastle’s EXCO was determined on Tuesday to improve communication and relations with the taxi associations, and partner towards an end of the violence.
EXCO member, Dr Jacobus Vorster advised EXCO to adopt a similar policy to the one the municipality used to employ. “Once every three months, Community Services used to meet with the associations to assess the rank, its developments and other aspects. We need to look into doing this again.”
Although all EXCO members agreed that this would be a good plan, Portfolio Councillor of Community Services, Noma Kunene, believed there were many more unsavoury characters in operation at the taxi rank at the moment. “The ball game is completely different from then,” she said.
Mayor, Afzul Rehman, weighed in by saying the matters surrounding the rank had to be addressed sooner rather than later, and believed speeding up the process would undoubtedly help.
