LATEST: MEC orders arrest of illegal #TaxiProtest blockade

Traffic police made up of Road Traffic Inspectorate and the Public Transport Enforcement Unit, working with the South African Police Service (SAPS), as well as eThekwini’s Metro Police have been ordered to arrest all people and vehicles that were part of an illegal blockage on the N2 and N3 routes on Wednesday morning, 31 May.

In ordering the police to effect the arrests, KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Mxolisi Kaunda called on the taxi industry to respect the rights of citizens using the road and traffic laws, after they embarked on a legal protest to raise economic transformation issues.

READ ALSO: WATCH: N2 Prospecton commuters forced out of taxi before dawn #TaxiProtest

“We appreciate that the taxi industry in the province has genuine economic issues to raise with their partners in the automotive, insurance and banking sectors. We fully support a constructive engagement by all stakeholders, especially on the critical and top-of-the-agenda issues of radical socio-economic transformation.

If you are in #Durban , its best you just stay at home today. #TaxiProtest #TrafficSA #RobByrne pic.twitter.com/S7dbsgt4tG

— Lwazisto (@Lwazistos) May 31, 2017

However, what we will not agree to is a disruptive approach, because it threatens the safety of citizens using the road to go to their places of work, children attending schools and commuters travelling to various destinations,” said MEC Kaunda.

READ ALSO: UPDATE: Taxi blockades gridlock major Durban routes

“The latter, destructive approach pre-empts our proposed, collaborative engagements to implement the radical socio-economic transformation programme in a way that will ensure the taxi industry benefits from the entire transport sector value chain.”

Kaunda, who has spoken to the leadership of the taxi industry council, the South African National Taxi Council and the acting provincial commissioner of the SAPS, Major General Bhekinkosi Langa, has called on the police to impound vehicles blockading the roads and arrest drivers illegally parking vehicles.

READ ALSO: UPDATE: Prospecton taxi strike related to vehicle prices

“Lawlessness is neither a progressive strategy nor the best solution under the prevailing circumstances, especially when seeking to address the critical issues of beneficiation and economic transformation our government and country are now seized with. To this end, I’ve instructed the integrated law enforcement team to arrest persons and impound vehicles blocking roads or disrupting the flow of traffic,” added Kaunda.

https://twitter.com/SteveBhengu/status/869847817518559232