File
The Eastern Cape government has revealed that the number of attacks on long-distance passenger buses increased exponentially with 95 incidents reported over the last two and a half years.
Community Safety MEC, Xolile Nqata, said in reply to questions in the Bhisho Legislature by the DA, that police were asked to escort buses in 4734 instances during this financial year alone.
DA MPL, Bobby Stevenson, said according to the MEC's reply, the number of attacks on passenger buses increased from seven in the 2020/2021 financial year, to 61 attacks over the 2021/2022 period.
He says a further 27 cases were opened for the current financial year already.
Stevenson says if these acts of economic sabotage continue unchecked, it will ultimately destroy part of our transport network and along with-it jobs.
"Of the 67 attacks reported over the 2021/22 period, 17 were malicious damage to property, four were attempted murder, and 40 were cases of intimidation."
He said the Government and the SAPS must pull out all the stops to prevent the slide of the Eastern Cape into a gangster state.
"These intimidation tactics are having a potentially devastating impact on the bus industry and need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. There is a concerted intimidation campaign to deliberately target long-haul bus operators by lawless elements," Stevenson said.
Meanwhile, the Portfolio Committee on Tourism was briefed on Tuesday by SAPS on the national intervention to stop attacks on long-distance bus operators travelling between the Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
Deputy SAPS Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili told the Committee that the Intercape Bus Company has lodged a formal complaint with President Cyril Ramaphosa calling for urgent intervention to stop violence directed against long-distance buses.
Mosikili said statistics reveal that Intercape was "the most targeted" bus company in all instances.
She said it is alleged that the taxi industry has threatened acts of violence should the company ignore the demands that have been set out.
According to the report, some of the demands include that the bus company increases its fares for trips from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape.
SAPS said the taxi industry has also demanded that only two Intercape buses travel this route daily and they have also requested a fee to ensure that buses operate without any hindrance.
