The morning skyline was painted with plumes of smoke as chaos erupted along the Osizweni route, spanning between Dicks Halt and Manzana, on Wednesday, 20 November 2024. Frustrated community members, fed up with ongoing tensions between local taxi drivers and the bus sector, took to the streets to demand immediate action.
A local resident shed light on the origins of the unrest, explaining how the escalating rivalry between taxi drivers and bus operators had left passengers stranded and fearful for their safety.
“On 22 April, the taxi people started attacking buses, changing the routes all around Osizweni. They would take out guns, pointing the firearms at the bus drivers in front of passengers, telling them not to pick people. This left a number of passengers stranded,” revealed the resident, recounting the harrowing events that first sparked the feud.
Reliant on public transport for their daily needs, many residents have faced months of mounting uncertainty. In response to the rising tensions, a petition was launched in April 2024, urging the Department of Transport to intervene before the volatile situation claimed lives. The resident explained, “The Department eventually came through, and a meeting was held with the taxi associations, the Department, and local Police.”
Despite the efforts of the Department of Transport and the involvement of law enforcement, tensions remain unresolved. Some bus drivers, fearing for their safety, have refused to return to their routes, leaving passengers stranded and struggling with limited and often costlier alternatives.
Driven to desperation, community members felt they had no choice but to protest, determined to draw attention to their plight.
This action, however, led to numerous arrests, with law enforcement stepping in to restore order. This resulted in the protesters being placed in custody at the Osizweni SAPS holding cells.
Confirming the arrests, Amajuba District SAPS Spokesperson, Constable Nonjabulo Langa, provided insight into the legal implications of the protest. “The community members did not apply for the protest, making it an unlawful protest and it blocked the roads,” she explained.
While those arrested face legal consequences, their concerns have not gone unnoticed. With the festive season fast approaching, some community members felt the tensions between taxi drivers and bus operators could escalate further.
However, Constable Langa assured residents that the SAPS is now closely monitoring the situation to prevent any outbreaks of violence or major disruptions to Newcastle’s transport network.
“We will be monitoring all the roads, both those going in and out of Newcastle and its surroundings, ensuring that the situation does not escalate. We are also encouraging residents to avoid taking the law into their own hands and rather report incidents where there are conflicts to the SAPS,” Constable Langa emphasised.
As law enforcement ramps up efforts to safeguard Newcastle’s roads and public transport system, what are your thoughts on the above? Share your views in the comment section below.
Comments 3
I feel that the taxi drivers are being greedy and self centered at the very same time they only want taxis to operate whereas there are some routes where their taxis doesn’t go in especially in rural areas such as Masondeza, hudula, mbabane etc. And we have elders that are unable to walk a long distance to the road since some buses has change their route. It rily affect us as community members the department of transport needs to intervene in this situation and very fast coz people are suffering
This is the only incident of unauthorised protest, I know of from the media, where protestors were arrested. According to media, SADTU members protested over a few days recently, and blocked and obstructed traffic on a road and haggled passing motorists, they, for example, were not arrested. Will we see more arrests in future or is the law selective of what communities to arrest ?
We are sick and tired of these taxi owners, they want to own everything, they think they are the only one who owns the road, on the other hand, their taxis are not operating in some areas around Osizweni, they say gravel roads are breaking their cars, then now if busses are helping the comunity, taxis block their way, even amaphela were blocked by them, please transport minister or Ayanda Msweli must come help us