Reports of intimidation and violence related to the one-day strike by taxi owners and drivers in KwaZulu-Natal have been received from around the province, traffic officials said on Monday.
”They are intimidating people, blocking off roads and throwing stones at vehicles in various places,” said the Road Traffic Inspectorate’s Rajen Chinaboo.
Thousands of KwaZulu-Natal commuters were stranded on Monday morning as taxi drivers embarked on a one-day strike against the government’s taxi recapitalisation programme.
”People are scared they will have to close their businesses because information about changes in the industry is not filtering down to the ground properly,” said taxi owner Nhlanhla Mkhize.
Mkhize, whose taxis operate in the Durban, Pinetown and Klaarwater areas, said not all taxi drivers got the message that there would be a strike and those who worked on Monday morning were intimidated by striking drivers.
”I told my drivers to just use their brains and if they see it’s dangerous to work they must stop,” he said.
He said drivers received a message on Sunday that there would be a rally at Curries Fountain in Durban before their march through the city centre.
A spokesperson for Durban metro police, Alex Wright, said tyres were burnt and buses stoned on the M25 route to KwaMashu on Monday, while similar incidents were also reported in Inanda.
”We have our guys patrolling at all the ranks because we heard rumours that there would be trouble this morning [Monday],” Wright said.
eThekwini municipal manager Mike Sutcliffe said the drivers applied for a protest permit last week but it was refused because of the short notice. He said at least seven days were needed to consider an application for a march and the request was also made just before a long weekend. – Sapa