Joburg deploys unit to monitor Soweto malls after attacks on e-hailing drivers

The City of Johannesburg on Wednesday deployed the Johannesburg metro police department intelligence unit to monitor Soweto after e-hailing vehicles were torched in Maponya Mall and chaos erupted in Protea Glen on Tuesday.

MMC for public safety Dr Mgcini Tshwaku reported that three vehicles were burnt and four others damaged at Maponya Mall during the attack  on e-hailing vehicles.

Tshwaku was speaking after a meeting at Kliptown police station in Soweto on Wednesday.

Several stakeholders including Johannesburg city officials, e-hailing drivers, taxi associations, police and mall managers, met to find amicable solutions to the ongoing conflict in the area. 

Tshwaku said while the investigations on what transpired since last Thursday were still under way,  JMPD officials with the police will intensify security and monitor all the malls in Soweto.

“We have deployed the intelligence units to check what is happening and avert any situation that might happen tonight [Wednesday] because we don't know what is going to happen further,” he said.

“We are manning all the malls to ensure there is no violence We have our intelligence on the ground to check what has been happening,” he said.

MMC for transport Kenny Kunene told the media they have established a committee which includes all the stakeholders, such as the e-hailing drivers, police, the city transport department, station commissioners from all Soweto police stations and managers of the malls. 

Kunene clarified at the meeting that it was not minibus taxi operators who were behind the arson. He said after the incident, he had met the minibus taxi associations and they had maintained they played no part in the attack.

Another meeting is expected soon but in the interim it was agreed that all the e-hailing cars would do their drop-offs at the gates of the malls.

“When they are carrying elderly people or people with disabilities they can drop them at the mall entrances,” he said.

Kunene said the resolution would stand until Friday after they meet all the stakeholders again. He said that meeting would spell out a long-lasting solution to the problem.

“The [police] investigations are ongoing. That is the report we got from them. They don't want to divulge much at this point, but the investigations are ongoing. 

“On behalf of the committee we want to appeal to all the e-hailing drivers to respect these resolutions.

He said the established committee would help them in terms of calming the situation.

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