Wednesday | November 18, 2020

Pretoria – City of Tshwane has withdrawn its bus services due to a bus taken forcefully in connection with the taxi strike underway in the area.

The Tshwane Bus Service alert on Twitter read:

“Please be informed that one of our bus has been highjacked by taxi drivers with the lady driver while on other routes passengers are kicked and forced out of the buses. With this we have to recall all our buses to the depot.”

Scores of taxi drivers are expected to descend to the Union Buildings to submit memoranda to President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula.

The demands, and indeed the bane of the match, relates to more than R1 billion Covid-19 government relief fund that taxi operators were promised.

The National Taxi Association (NPA) said it issued a memorandum yesterday to embark on today’s protests against government failure on the payments. Talking to Newzroom Afrika, NTA representative Prince Skosana said their taxis were used in agreement with the government during Covid-19 but now they are sidelined. He alleges that most of their members lost jobs and have had taxis repossessed. On the hijacked Tshwane bus, Skosana pointed to bad elements and urged the law to take its course. 

City of Tshwane has since confirmed that the female driver of the hijacked bus has been found unhammered.

Transport disruption in Gauteng

Many passengers were left without transport to commute to work in Gauteng this morning. Among those affected by the taxi strike were matriculants (Grade 12s) sitting for their 2020 academic year examinations.

As a result, MEC for education in Gauteng Panyaza Lesufi intimated that there will be a 1-hour extension for all learners with transport challenges. Meanwhile, grade 12s are encouraged to seek alternative transport. Additionally, pupils were also advised to write examinations at any school in their immediate vacinity.

As far as picketing goes, NTA assured no disruption for cars carrying pupils to schools or examination centers.