Immediate action needed before Gauteng bus, taxi wars lead to loss of life, SAPS tells MPs

Stringent mitigating measures are needed to avert future attacks on long-distance bus services in Gauteng.

This was the alarm bell rung by police top brass who appeared before the portfolio committee on tourism on Tuesday to outline an intervention plan to try to keep operators safe.

Giving feedback on attacks on Intercape Bus Company vehicles, deputy national commissioner Lt-Gen Tebello Mosikili told MPs attacks on long-distance buses, though not prevalent in the province, were a serious threat and required “immediate police intervention before it escalates to loss of human lives and destruction of property”.

“ ... the plausibility of the new emerging threat imported from Cape Town into Gauteng cannot be ruled out.”

The Sunday Times reported previously that the bus operator, which transports about 1.2-million passengers a year, had recorded more than 150 incidents of intimidation, stoning and shooting at its buses since early 2021.

Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira told the committee on tourism last week that taxi associations, demanding his company hike ticket prices, had forced Intercape to suspend operations in the Eastern Cape towns of Cofimvaba, Dutywa, Butterworth, Ngcobo and Tsomo.

Ferreira's fleet has been under prolonged attack, resulting in the death of a driver in April. After his chilling presentation, MPs expressed concern that the attacks could be devastating for tourism.

This prompted the committee to haul the police to appear before it this week. 

Mosikili said: “Taxi operators perceive the operations of buses, including the operation of long-distance buses, as a threat to their livelihood, particularly in areas where the majority of residents use buses as a preferred and cheaper mode of public transport.”

She said the Eastern and Western Cape had registered a high number of attacks on long-distance buses, including Intercape, Translux and Greyhound, in the past 12 months. Cases included malicious damage to property, intimidation, assault, attempted murder and murder.

“Statistics show Intercape is the most targeted company. It accounts for 69 cases registered for 2022/2023. The Western Cape has registered 69 and [the Eastern Cape] eight cases.”

Mosikili said one person was in custody for murder and attempted murder. In addition, three attempted murder cases were under investigation.

The bus companies reportedly had numerous informal meetings with the taxi industry in both provinces and their provincial commissioners had engaged Natjoints to deal with the crimes.

Mosikili said among Intercape's allegations were that taxi operators demanded a fee from its drivers to operate without disturbances and that high-profile taxi owners or “hitmen” were instigating acts of extortion and attacks on the long-distance service.

Furthermore, she said Ferreira lodged a complaint with President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling for an urgent intervention to stop the violence.

She said police intelligence had shown that in the Eastern Cape buses were stoned or shot at.

“The suspects place stones on the road, forcing the driver to stop, [after which] they throw stones at the bus.

“Intelligence has flagged that on the R61 from Mthatha via Ngcobo, Cofimvaba, Komani, Cradock and Graaff Reinet, which joins the N9 to Aberdeen, there was a lot of intimidation.

“This is also happening on the N6 from Queenstown to Aliwal North to Gauteng, where there is intimidation and attempted murder.”

Mosikili said intelligence further indicated that taxi bosses demanded Intercape pay for flights and accommodation when travelling from the Eastern Cape to attend meetings, which amounted to extortion.

Police operations had also found that some targets also operated as taxi owners.

Police in the two provinces had established a committee to deal with the situation.

This involved surveillance of buses until they were out of the provinces and identification of possible suspicious vehicles, with the aim of identifying suspects, she said.

Mosikili said proactive intelligence had also been provided to mitigate threats and it was decided that an interprovincial prosecutorial-led investigation (PLI) between the two provinces be conducted.

Four people had been arrested in the Eastern Cape and two in the Western Cape.

She said 98 firearms, 1,264 rounds of ammunition and 38 vehicles had been recovered in various provinces and the police were investigating 126 cases of intimidation, shooting and vehicle stoning in five of them.

“Forty-seven incidents were reported that led to the opening of cases and three people were arrested. Of these cases 11 were closed, three went to court, two were referred to the senior public prosecutor and six were withdrawn.

“Twenty-five cases are pending to enable a decision to be made regarding the viability of prosecution.”

No case had been finalised, Mosikili said.

Committee chair Tandi Mahambehlala said the violence had a knock-on effect on tourism.

“It’s now close to the festive season and we know people will be flocking for their holidays from different parts of the country. [We will also] be receiving tourists from outside the country. 

“In other parts of the world people are not comfortable with us because of the crime rate and the stats which are tabled by police minister Bheki Cele. That alone triggers uncertainty in people watching from a distance and it’s even worse when there are attacks on transport.”

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