Five shot in Mamelodi bus route protest
The taxi driver protest over who is supposed to take over routes abandoned by Putco turned even more violent on Friday morning as a driver and four passengers were wounded by a gunman. The shooting happened on Solomon Mahlangu Drive in Mamelodi.This follows three days of protests by Mamelodi Taxi Association members who want control of the routes used by Putco up until June 30‚ but a temporary‚ three-month contract was already been given to Autopax‚ which is a state-owned entity.Wednesday and Thursday saw law enforcement officials escorting Autopax buses on the contentious routes and clearing the roads of rubble.Gauteng Transport MEC Ismail Vadi reacted on Friday by saying the shooting was “the ugly face of the taxi industry that’s now revealing itself”.The violence has angered both metropolitan and provincial officials‚ and Gauteng Premier David Makhura is expected to meet with taxi industry figures to end the crisis.The protest is being met with a protest of its own.A simple press statement on Friday morning said: “The Gauteng Civic Association and Mamelodi residents organised protests this morning against the ongoing disruption to bus services in Mamelodi resulting from taxi drivers’ opposition to new bus services.”..
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