Long-distance buses have suffered more than 100 attacks since the beginning of 2021, allegedly at the hands of taxi operators as fights over routes and fares intensify.
This is according to Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira speaking during parliament's tourism portfolio committee meeting on Tuesday.
Ferreira was meant to be joined by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) to brief the committee on their perspectives on incidents that have plagued long-distance travel in the country. However, Santaco was a no-show, with the association rendering an apology and asking for a different date.
In the attacks, at least one Intercape employee, bus driver Bangikhaya Machana, was killed outside the company's depot in April this year.
Ferreira told the committee that attacks started as early as 2015 but from 2019 they grew more serious.
He said by 2020, they had escalated to more violent crimes which included stoning moving buses. He said there were 21 shooting incidents this year alone.
“These attacks at the time they started were of intimidation in nature, where taxi operators will come to the bus stops and prevent passengers from being loaded and also preventing passengers from being dropped at certain towns. There were many meetings held at the time — in 2016, 2017 and 2018 together with the department of transport in the Eastern Cape, the police and the traffic department.
“The taxi organisations questioned the validity of the permits of the bus operators. So the attacks escalated since 2019. And again, I must stress that the attacks were not only against Intercape; it was against all the long-distance bus operators in the Eastern Cape area.
“At the time in 2019 letters were sent to the public protector, the minister of transport and the provincial regulatory entities with no help at all. There was no response. Nobody came to our help at the time, and incidences were such of stoning as I say, intimidation, self-blocking stops, attempted extortion,” he said.
As a result of the constant attacks, Ferreira told the committee Intercape no longer operated in Dutywa, Butterworth, Ngcobo, Tsomo, Cofimvaba, Gcuwa and Nqamakwe. He also alleged there was an attempt to extort the bus company out of R100,000 in the form of a protection fee.
“This is a typical example of what I call area cleansing or industry cleansing. In other words, get rid of a competitor because you can't compete with them so you have to get rid of them. How do you get rid of them? You terrorise them until they go away. That's what's happening in the Eastern Cape.”
Ferreira cautioned that if there was no national intervention then the perpetrators would take their acts of “terrorism” to other provinces.
He said the letters he sent to the president Cyril Ramaphosa, police minister Bheki Cele and the minister of transport Fikile Mbalula were not answered.
Responding to the presentation, ANC MP Sindiswa Maneli said this was an emergency which could negatively affect tourism in the country.
“This has a significant effect on domestic tourism but a large part of this is all criminal conduct. All operators and commuters should enjoy protection from the state and the government.”
DA MP Hannah Winkler proposed the committee approach the transport and police departments to find a solution to long-distance travel in the country.
“What I heard today is chilling and although it affects transport it cuts across departments and could affect tourism in the country.”
Chief strategic manager for Santaco, Bafana Magagula, had previously said his organisation condemned any form of violence and appealed to the community to work with it and the police to bring those responsible to book.
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