Cape Town - Minibus taxi (amaphela) operators in Hout Bay have distanced themselves from an incident in which a MyCiTi bus was torched in the area on Wednesday evening.
The arson attack followed after City traffic officials impounded two minibus taxis for illegally operating in the area. This was then followed by protests from the operators.
The drivers allegedly blocked the traffic circle at Imizamo Yethu where a MyCiTi bus servicing the route between the Adderley Street station in the CBD and Hout Bay was stoned when the bus driver stopped in the vicinity of the traffic circle to allow around 40 passengers to disembark. The bus driver was allegedly instructed to exit the bus before it was set alight.
The area is no stranger to violent taxi unrest. In November, following the impounding of illegal taxis, upset protesters hurled bricks at passing cars, poured petrol on other vehicles, and burnt tyres in the vicinity of the main circle in Imizamo Yethu.
In September MyCiTi suspended its services after three buses were stoned in Imizamo Yethu and one was petrol bombed after public violence erupted.
The City’s Traffic Services spokesperson, Kevin Jacobs, said they received two complaints from business owners on Victoria Road that taxi drivers and operators were using their parking bays to load and offload passengers.
The owners also complained that they and their clients were unable to access and leave their properties. They also complained of noise, and verbal abuse from taxi drivers and owners.
Jacobs said traffic officers found two sedan taxis whose drivers could not produce valid operating licences and they were impounded.
Speaking on behalf of the drivers, Siyakuvuyisa Mkhangume alleges that the City officials who responded to the operation do not operate in the Hout Bay area but were from Fish Hoek and were not aware of the “arrangement” they had with the City. He denied the operator’s involvement in the torching of the bus.
Urban Mobility mayoral committee member Rob Quintas said the City had opened a case of attempted murder, arson and malicious property damage. He said the replacement cost of the bus was about R1.3 million. Quintas said one of the alleged perpetrators involved in the attack was arrested.
“We will not accept or tolerate lawlessness, or retaliation attacks as a result of the enforcement of the City’s by-laws and regulations,” he said.
Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said during the operation one person was arrested for failing to comply with a lawful instruction of a law enforcement officer and assault on a law enforcement official. He confirmed that a public violence case was opened.