Taxi violence erupts again in Musina

Commuters next to the Musina taxi rank had to flee for their lives on Monday when shots were fired, and nine private security officers were reportedly injured. The shoot-out appears to be the result of the ongoing war between rival taxi associations.

Limpopo Mirror first reported in 2016 about the feud between the LTT-Musina Taxi Association and the Beit Bridge Taxi Association (BTA). The rivalry over routes also found its way to the courts, and in July 2019, the Polokwane High Court was asked to rule on the matter. The BTA was then prohibited from operating on the Musina-to-Louis Trichardt route, as well as the Musina-to-Polokwane route. The Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport, as well as the SA Police, was further instructed to enforce the law by issuing fines and arresting members of the BTA, should they operate on these routes.

Despite the court order, BTA members appeared to continue operating on the routes. In April last year, taxi operators and owners affiliated with the LTT-Musina Taxi Association and Makhado Long-Distance Taxi Association (MALTA) marched to the office of  the Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, and the Premier’s office. They handed over a memorandum with detailed grievances, again urging authorities to act in accordance with the court order and to protect them from being intimated by BTA members.

The conflict turned ugly on Monday when members of the LTT-Musina Taxi Association made use of a private security company to escort them into the Musina taxi rank. They allege that this step was necessary because the drivers were prevented from ferrying commuters to and from the taxi rank. When they arrived at the rank, fighting broke out and shots were fired. Nine security officers were injured and two cars were destroyed during the fight. The injured people were taken to the Musina Hospital for treatment.

BTA members, however, claim that they had only defended themselves. They claim that they had received a tip-off that nine people were hired to go to Musina and kill some members of their association. “We confronted them and took the law into our hands after they started shooting randomly. We apprehended them and took them to the police station,” the BTA member, who did not want his name mentioned, said.

The deputy chairperson of MALTA, Mr Thomas Ludere, denied these allegations and said that they had written a letter to MEC Radzilani, informing her that the situation was volatile. He said that the MEC had been informed that they now had to use private security companies to help protect their members as her department and law-enforcement agencies were not resolving the issue.

Ludere said that they had contracted the security company to protect their members when entering the Musina taxi rank for the next six months. He denied allegations that they had hired hitmen to kill rival members.

The police spokesperson, Lt-Col Malesela Ledwaba, confirmed that the police had opened a case of malicious damage to property and assault.

Date:06 April 2023

By: Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

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