An Eastern Cape motorist who picked up a hitchhiker escaped death by a whisker when a minibus carrying 13 taxi operators rammed into the back of his car after a 28km high-speed chase along the N2.
The taxi gang then veered onto the opposite side of the road and collided head-on with an Avanza, injuring three passengers.
Bubele Mkalipi, 26, who was driving to Mthatha from King William’s Town to fetch his cousin, had no idea he would be fighting for his life moments after stopping to pick up a hitchhiker in Dutywa on shortly before lunchtime.
As the passenger was about to get into his car, his path was blocked by a Toyota Quantum minibus taxi.
Taxi operators aggressively demanded to know why he was picking up hitchhikers.
“I immediately told the hitchhiker not to get into the car while telling the taximen that I didn’t know that this was not permitted in Dutywa,” Mkalipi told the Daily Dispatch yesterday.
“But they were rude and asked me to pay a bribe of R400, and when I said I did not have it, they said I should go and pay R600 at the offices of Uncedo Service Taxi Association. I told them I did not have the money.”
The taximen swore at at him saying his car would not leave Dutywa until he had paid the R600, he said.
He had no choice but to agree to go with them to the offices.
“Initially they said I should drive in front but when I told them I didn’t know the place, they drove in front of me and told me to follow them. However, I drove off in the opposite direction along the N2 towards Mthatha.”
The taxi gave chase but after 28km of racing, Mkalipi said he hit roadworks near Mbhashe river and had to slow down.
Suddenly the taxi rammed into the back of his Toyota Verso. It then veered onto the opposite side of the road and collided with an oncoming Avanza which burst into flames.
Mkalipi said he managed to steer his his car to the verge and got out.
Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said the Avanza had been travelling from Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal to Port Elizabeth.
“Those inside sustained injuries but they all managed to escape. They were taken to hospital,” Kupelo said, adding that the injuries were minor.
Kupelo said, according to eyewitnesses, the taxi operators fled the scene on foot, but left their driver behind.
Butterworth police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha was unable to confirm the incident.
Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana blasted taxi drivers for their actions saying there was no law that prevented motorists from offering lifts to hitchhikers.
Speaking at the launch of the department’s Easter road safety campaign on Sunday, she said similar incidents in the past caused road deaths.
Her department would establish task teams in several districts to deal with the problem.
“No one has a right to stop anyone from hitchhiking on the road. Whoever prohibits people will be arrested. Only police officers have the right to arrest people.”
Uncedo national president Ntsikelelo Gaehler also reacted with shock at the news and promised to investigate.
He said their members had no right to stop or chase anyone picking up hitchhikers.
“It’s probably people who are doing their own thing. We don’t know who, but if we find them we will take them to a disciplinary hearing.”
However there have been tragic confrontations between motorists and taxi operators in the past.
Three years ago, the Dispatch reported that three taxi operators had been charged with murder following the deaths of four people in a high-speed chase after a dispute with a motorist who picked up hitchhikers.
An off-duty police officer was also shot and killed allegedly by an angry mob of taxi operators in Ngcobo after attempting to pick up hitchhikers.
Five taxi operators were subsequently arrested and charged with murder.
A taxi driver was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for killing two people and injuring two more when he rammed into a sedan he believed was a “pirate taxi”. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
Taxi rage ends in fiery crash
The taxi gang then veered onto the opposite side of the road and collided head-on with an Avanza, injuring three passengers.
Bubele Mkalipi, 26, who was driving to Mthatha from King William’s Town to fetch his cousin, had no idea he would be fighting for his life moments after stopping to pick up a hitchhiker in Dutywa on shortly before lunchtime.
As the passenger was about to get into his car, his path was blocked by a Toyota Quantum minibus taxi.
Taxi operators aggressively demanded to know why he was picking up hitchhikers.
“I immediately told the hitchhiker not to get into the car while telling the taximen that I didn’t know that this was not permitted in Dutywa,” Mkalipi told the Daily Dispatch yesterday.
“But they were rude and asked me to pay a bribe of R400, and when I said I did not have it, they said I should go and pay R600 at the offices of Uncedo Service Taxi Association. I told them I did not have the money.”
The taximen swore at at him saying his car would not leave Dutywa until he had paid the R600, he said.
He had no choice but to agree to go with them to the offices.
“Initially they said I should drive in front but when I told them I didn’t know the place, they drove in front of me and told me to follow them. However, I drove off in the opposite direction along the N2 towards Mthatha.”
The taxi gave chase but after 28km of racing, Mkalipi said he hit roadworks near Mbhashe river and had to slow down.
Suddenly the taxi rammed into the back of his Toyota Verso. It then veered onto the opposite side of the road and collided with an oncoming Avanza which burst into flames.
Mkalipi said he managed to steer his his car to the verge and got out.
Eastern Cape health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said the Avanza had been travelling from Empangeni in KwaZulu-Natal to Port Elizabeth.
“Those inside sustained injuries but they all managed to escape. They were taken to hospital,” Kupelo said, adding that the injuries were minor.
Kupelo said, according to eyewitnesses, the taxi operators fled the scene on foot, but left their driver behind.
Butterworth police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha was unable to confirm the incident.
Transport MEC Weziwe Tikana blasted taxi drivers for their actions saying there was no law that prevented motorists from offering lifts to hitchhikers.
Speaking at the launch of the department’s Easter road safety campaign on Sunday, she said similar incidents in the past caused road deaths.
Her department would establish task teams in several districts to deal with the problem.
“No one has a right to stop anyone from hitchhiking on the road. Whoever prohibits people will be arrested. Only police officers have the right to arrest people.”
Uncedo national president Ntsikelelo Gaehler also reacted with shock at the news and promised to investigate.
He said their members had no right to stop or chase anyone picking up hitchhikers.
“It’s probably people who are doing their own thing. We don’t know who, but if we find them we will take them to a disciplinary hearing.”
However there have been tragic confrontations between motorists and taxi operators in the past.
Three years ago, the Dispatch reported that three taxi operators had been charged with murder following the deaths of four people in a high-speed chase after a dispute with a motorist who picked up hitchhikers.
An off-duty police officer was also shot and killed allegedly by an angry mob of taxi operators in Ngcobo after attempting to pick up hitchhikers.
Five taxi operators were subsequently arrested and charged with murder.
A taxi driver was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for killing two people and injuring two more when he rammed into a sedan he believed was a “pirate taxi”. — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
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