The City of Cape Town’s law enforcement agencies had their hands full on Friday evening as sporadic incidents of unrest in different parts of the city were reported.
Following a taxi blockade in the CBD by drivers, which resulted in slow-moving traffic out of the city in the afternoon, City spokesperson Maxine Bezuidenhout reported that several Golden Arrow buses had been set alight in Gugulethu and Philippi.
She, however, could not confirm whether it was linked to the taxi protest earlier in the day.
No injuries were reported.
Western Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed that a bus had been torched just after 18:00 near Ramaphosa informal settlement in Gugulethu.
“A case of malicious damage to property has been opened for further investigation,” said Rwexana.
No one has been arrested yet.
Meanwhile, the metro police had their hands full after tyres were set alight between Jakes Gerwel Drive and Oliver Tambo Road in Philippi.
Bezuidenhout said the police had extinguished the fire, adding law enforcement would keep a watchful eye on the situation.
Earlier on Friday, minibus taxis blocked roads in the CBD, slowing down traffic and causing “heavy delays” out of the city.
Bezuidenhout was unable to say if the unrest was related to Tuesday’s action when taxi drivers protested over the issuing of warrants during the afternoon traffic rush, blocking roads.
Commuters had been threatened and violently forced out of minibuses, News24 reported.
The unrest was believed to be related to the issuing of warrants, impounding of illegal taxis during an operation on Tuesday, the fact that they were fined in the first place, and the fine amount, the City’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said at the time.
In other news – One dead, multiple others injured in multi-vehicle crash on the N3 Durban
KwaZulu-Natal: At 19H29 Friday night Netcare 911 responded to reports of a collision on the N3 South bound near the Marianhill Toll Plaza in Marianhill.
Reports from the scene indicate that a truck, bakkie, and three cars were involved in a collision. Medics assessed the scene and found that six patients had sustained minor to moderate injuries. continue reading
Source: News24
