[Blacks doing their thing. Always something to protest or get angry about – even when they run it. All this is Black-on-Black stuff. Note how non-striking taxi drivers got beaten up!!! Typical. I suspect this is also a power struggle of some kind. They fight over everything – taxi routes – you name it. Jan]

Several incidents of violence were reported, buses were stoned and drivers assaulted during the stayaway instigated by the KwaZulu-Natal Transport Alliance in protest against permit delays and the taxi recapitalisation process yesterday.

Provincial police spokesman Bala Naidoo said extra police had been deployed across KwaZulu-Natal to deal with several incidents of violence and intimidation, including buses being stoned near KwaMashu and Umbumbulu.

Two bus drivers were assaulted in Inanda and central Durban and a Metro policeman was assaulted with a brick.

Department of Transport spokesman Mawande Jubasi said reports from around the province indicated that non-striking drivers had been beaten up and their money had been stolen. Buses and taxis had been stoned and tyres had been burnt in protest.

“We are worried about the sporadic outbreaks of violence and intimidation against taxis that are operating,” he said.

The alliance, which is made up of taxi associations from around the province, vowed to continue the stayaway until its grievances were addressed by the provincial Transport Department.

The group was denied permission to hold a march yesterday by city authorities, who said their letter of request had been given on short notice.

The alliance, however, claims to have sent three letters this month. It will challenge this issue in court today.

Bus and train transport services were overwhelmed by the extra commuters.

Dan Cloete, Operations Executive for Remant Alton (which runs the city”s bus service), said buses had had a “huge influx” of passengers. Metro Rail”s Tozi Baloyi said there had been an increase of between 3% and 5% in commuters yesterday.

Thousands of workers were left stranded. Inanda resident Sibusiso Ngcobo, 22, was stranded in central Durban for more than three hours after coming off night duty.

School pupils missed examinations and tests. Principals also opted to send pupils home early, fearing they could be stranded later in the day.

Umlazi Comprehensive Tech-nical High School Grade nine pupil Phumlani Gumede arrived at school late, was sent home early as a precaution and still waited for hours for transport home.

A survey conducted by The Mercury found that seven out of eight schools from north, south and central Durban experienced problems with pupil and staff shortages because of the stayaway.

A common matric June examination, which was to be written in the province yesterday, was missed by some pupils.

At Umlazi Commercial High 12 matriculants missed writing the Afrikaans common paper because of the stayaway.

KwaZulu-Natal Education spokesman Mandla Msibi said no major disruptions had been reported from schools and principals had taken measures to deal with the situation. He said pupils who missed the examination would either write a new test or be assessed in another way.

Durban Metro Police spokes-man Alex Wright said more than 100 officers had been on standby yesterday.

Members of the alliance – which is unhappy with the way permit processing and the recapitalisation of the taxi industry is taking place – met at the Durban Light Infantry Hall in Greyville yesterday.

Alliance spokesman Muntu Ngcobo said delays in processing permits hampered their ability to run their businesses.

He said: “This is a business that we have invested our whole lives in and we need to get something out of it. What are we supposed to do when the police stop us and we show them our permits and they tell us that they are not valid because they have expired?

“We get stopped by the police sometimes more than three times a week and that is R3 000 every time your vehicle gets impounded. Where are we supposed to get that money and how are we supposed to support ourselves and our families?”

Members said temporary permits did not work and drivers in possession of such permits were still being arrested.

Another burning issue for the alliance is the recapitalisation of the taxi industry. The alliance is dissatisfied with proposed payments for their taxis.

Alliance Deputy Secretary Peggy Shangase said: “You want to take away my car and give me R50 000.

“What will I do with that when the value of my car is R85 000? We love our government, but treat us with dignity.”

KwaZulu-Natal Transport Minister Bheki Cele condemned yesterday”s violence and said there had been no need for a strike.

“We are doing everything in our power to reach an amicable solution to this problem, but we are faced with an intransigent and unreasonable group,” he said.

He also said that the leaders of the alliance had nothing to lose since they did not own the taxis they worked on. Cele would meet the alliance on Friday to discuss grievances.

Source: The Mercury
URL: http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fSectio…br>