Armed Mpumalanga Taxi Patrollers Target School Transport, Demand R15,000 To Release It

• A minibus driver contracted to a college in Mpumalanga's taxi was allegedly confiscated by rogue taxi patrollers
• They accused him of stealing their businesses and demanded R15,000 in exchange for the taxi they took
• The taxi operators then took the learners from the school transport and loaded them onto their taxi

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered criminal activities, police investigations, police shootouts and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

MATSULU, MPUMALANGA — A Mpumalanga school transport owner opened a case of theft after rogue taxi operators took his taxi on 30 November 2024 while he was transporting school children.

Rogue taxi operators stop Mpumalanga driver

According to SowetanLIVE, Bheki Nkosi from Matsulu in Mpumalanga was stopped by armed taxi patrollers on the N4. He was on his way from a farewell event with 14 students from a college he was contracted to. The school's principal, Mark Nzimande, was also present during the incident. The patrollers accused him of taking their business and demanded that Nkosi pay a R1,500 fine.

Read also

KZN horror crash leaves 2 dead as eThekwini launches road safety campaign

Taxi was confiscated, learners traumatised

Nkosi said he did not have the R1,500, and they forced him to drive to the Malalane taxi rank. They took his car keys, told him he would have to pay R15,000 to release them, and loaded the traumatised students into a taxi of their own. Nkosi opened a case of theft. Nzimande, the principal, said that the incident angered him.

One of the learners was traumatised by the incident.

"This is scary. I thought we were going to be shot. When they stopped us the principal tried to calm us as some of us started crying," he said.

South Africans angered

Netizens on Facebook were angry at what happened.

Peter Peter said:

"They should be arrested. That is criminal."

Rapitso Pitso said:

"We are tired of this industry, and we need the government to take action."

Oscar Chauke Hlayisekani said:

Read also

Zimbabwean and South African men arrested for possession of R15 million worth of gold

"That's hijacking and extortion."

Mosuli Mrobo said:

"The taxi industry is operating like gangsters."

SANTACO speaks against giving hitchhikers lifts

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) said motorists should not give hitchhikers lifts without permission.

The Council said car owners who give pedestrians and hitchhikers lifts infringe on the taxi operators' rights.

Source: Briefly News