Taxi protesters attack drivers
2008-08-21 11:37
Johannesburg - About 50 members of the Kempton Park Taxi Association blockaded Tembisa roads on Thursday morning, robbing at least one motorist and slashing the tyres of two cars, police said.
"The illegal march started at about 04:00 this morning by taxi operators of the Kempton Park Taxi Association," said Inspector Mveli Nhlapo.
The protesters, one of whom was armed with a firearm, others carrying knobkerries and sjamboks, stopped motorists in Tembisa who were transporting stranded commuters.
"Two cars were damaged. They slashed all four tyres on both cars. One of the motorists said they also took money from him," said Nhlapo.
"We don't know what aggravated them," he added.
The protesters then took a train at Leralla railway station to Van Riebeeck station near Kempton Park and continued their march.
"The police warned them to disperse because the march was illegal but they refused to disperse. The police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd," said Nhlapo.
Some of the protesters ran away but 13 were arrested. They face charges of malicious damage to property, public violence, theft and possession of an illegal firearm.
Nobody was injured.
- SAPA