Police Minister Bheki Cele yesterday vowed to keep the troubled R61 between Mthatha and Port St Johns and N2 Mthatha to Tsolo taxi routes closed indefinitely until taxi operators were “sober-minded” instead of masquerading as funeral parlours”.
Cele believes that closing the routes, meaning no minibus taxis will operate between Mthatha and Port St Johns and Mthatha to Tsolo and Maclear, will finally end the ongoing taxi violence that has claimed more than 60 lives since 2016 in the Eastern Cape.
The majority of the victims were from the OR Tambo District.
Cele was addressing the media at the PRD Building in Mthatha, where he was flanked by transport safety and liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana, national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khehla Sithole and provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga.
While the R61 route and the Circus Triangle in Mthatha and Ntlaza in Libode taxi ranks have previously been closed because of taxi violence, Cele believes taking away taxi operators’ livelihood by indefinitely closing the routes, will yield the desired results.
“The selfishness of the taxi industry must be cut down to zero. We cannot continue to count dead bodies like a taxi load. Sixty people is a big number, the killings must be eradicated or else taxi operators will lose their business.
“The routes belong to the citizens of this country and not to be manipulated by taxi bosses for selfish financial gains,” said Cele.
“This is not the first time that a decision of closing down the taxi routes is taken, but what is different this time is that unless there is absolute compliance to the peace accord, the routes will be closed indefinitely, so that the hand of government is felt in this area. Even if they take us to court, we will defend the authority of the state.”
He said that after the signing of the ceasefire agreement, 13 people have been killed and 17 cases of attempted murder have been registered.
“We are not a banana republic, therefore business cannot continue as usual. In fact, the taxi business can rather go down on its knees instead of masquerading as a funeral parlour.”
Before addressing the media, Cele, Sithole, Ntshinga and Tikana had a lengthy meeting with the rival Uncedo Services Taxi Association and Border Alliance Taxi Association.
However, the meeting deadlocked as neither association took responsibility for the bloodshed.
In taking the decision to close down the taxi operations indefinitely, Cele said he was willing to meet both taxi associations once they have “sobered up”.
Meanwhile, the lawyer of five of the six men who were arrested on Monday for allegedly being hitmen in the ongoing taxi violence, told the court that his clients were assaulted when they were arrested.
Mthatha attorney Sithembele Mgaxaji appeared at the Libode Magistrate’s Court on behalf of the suspected hired killers and told the magistrate that his clients were victims of police brutality.
He also alleged that Ntanjana Kolwani, 28, Vuyo Mahlome , 28, Sani Mpahleni, 49, Monelisi Fasi, 45, and Mncedisi Fasi, 30, were coerced into confessing to the crime.
The sixth suspect was not in court and no explanation was given.
“My clients were heavily assaulted and coerced into making confessions and pointing out,” Mgxaji said.
One of the accused appeared in court with a big plaster on his forehead.
They were arrested on Monday by the Eastern Cape taxi violence police task team at Sibangweni village – 8km from Mthatha at around 3am.
Police confiscated two R5 rifles, an AK47, three pistols, about 180 rounds of ammunition, as well as two stolen cars – a Mercedes-Benz C250 AMG and a Hyundai i20.
Cele said one of the guns had been stolen from a police officer.
The men are facing charges of attempted murder and being in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition while other have been charged for attempted murder.
Other taxi violence accused Samnkelo Mlamleli, 38, Musa Kusakasa Mzulwini 41, and Linda Mgebe Nazo, 34, were also arrested at the weekend and charged with attempted murder.
They were all remanded in custody with their cases postponed to Tuesday for formal bail application. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Minister closes Mthatha taxi routes
Cele believes that closing the routes, meaning no minibus taxis will operate between Mthatha and Port St Johns and Mthatha to Tsolo and Maclear, will finally end the ongoing taxi violence that has claimed more than 60 lives since 2016 in the Eastern Cape.
The majority of the victims were from the OR Tambo District.
Cele was addressing the media at the PRD Building in Mthatha, where he was flanked by transport safety and liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana, national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khehla Sithole and provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga.
While the R61 route and the Circus Triangle in Mthatha and Ntlaza in Libode taxi ranks have previously been closed because of taxi violence, Cele believes taking away taxi operators’ livelihood by indefinitely closing the routes, will yield the desired results.
“The selfishness of the taxi industry must be cut down to zero. We cannot continue to count dead bodies like a taxi load. Sixty people is a big number, the killings must be eradicated or else taxi operators will lose their business.
“The routes belong to the citizens of this country and not to be manipulated by taxi bosses for selfish financial gains,” said Cele.
“This is not the first time that a decision of closing down the taxi routes is taken, but what is different this time is that unless there is absolute compliance to the peace accord, the routes will be closed indefinitely, so that the hand of government is felt in this area. Even if they take us to court, we will defend the authority of the state.”
He said that after the signing of the ceasefire agreement, 13 people have been killed and 17 cases of attempted murder have been registered.
“We are not a banana republic, therefore business cannot continue as usual. In fact, the taxi business can rather go down on its knees instead of masquerading as a funeral parlour.”
Before addressing the media, Cele, Sithole, Ntshinga and Tikana had a lengthy meeting with the rival Uncedo Services Taxi Association and Border Alliance Taxi Association.
However, the meeting deadlocked as neither association took responsibility for the bloodshed.
In taking the decision to close down the taxi operations indefinitely, Cele said he was willing to meet both taxi associations once they have “sobered up”.
Meanwhile, the lawyer of five of the six men who were arrested on Monday for allegedly being hitmen in the ongoing taxi violence, told the court that his clients were assaulted when they were arrested.
Mthatha attorney Sithembele Mgaxaji appeared at the Libode Magistrate’s Court on behalf of the suspected hired killers and told the magistrate that his clients were victims of police brutality.
He also alleged that Ntanjana Kolwani, 28, Vuyo Mahlome , 28, Sani Mpahleni, 49, Monelisi Fasi, 45, and Mncedisi Fasi, 30, were coerced into confessing to the crime.
The sixth suspect was not in court and no explanation was given.
“My clients were heavily assaulted and coerced into making confessions and pointing out,” Mgxaji said.
One of the accused appeared in court with a big plaster on his forehead.
They were arrested on Monday by the Eastern Cape taxi violence police task team at Sibangweni village – 8km from Mthatha at around 3am.
Police confiscated two R5 rifles, an AK47, three pistols, about 180 rounds of ammunition, as well as two stolen cars – a Mercedes-Benz C250 AMG and a Hyundai i20.
Cele said one of the guns had been stolen from a police officer.
The men are facing charges of attempted murder and being in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition while other have been charged for attempted murder.
Other taxi violence accused Samnkelo Mlamleli, 38, Musa Kusakasa Mzulwini 41, and Linda Mgebe Nazo, 34, were also arrested at the weekend and charged with attempted murder.
They were all remanded in custody with their cases postponed to Tuesday for formal bail application. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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