News24 | Intercape secures court interdict after Ngcobo taxi strike

Intercape buses will be loading and offloading passengers in front of the Ngcobo police station to avoid intimidation and violence.

Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp

• After a three-week taxi strike in Ngcobo, Intercape has secured a court order allowing it to load passengers in front of the police station.
• The Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality must also take steps to ensure the company is protected.
• Intercape has faced violence and intimidation in the area, with a child passenger being attacked in June.

In Ngcobo, an Eastern Cape town about 85km from Mthatha, Intercape buses will be using the police station as a bus stop in terms of a recent court order, GroundUp reported.

This comes after weeks of protest by taxi operators and a string of court cases from the municipality, taxi association and ratepayers attempting to stop the long-distance bus company from operating in the town.

Intercape buses have for several years faced intimidation and violent attacks across the Eastern Cape, including in Ngcobo. In June, a child passenger sustained head injuries when an Intercape bus was attacked.

Taxi drivers say Intercape has an unfair advantage, and they do not like the competition. GroundUp understands that other bus companies that operate from the town’s taxi rank pay a fee to the taxi industry.

From 18 August, taxis went on strike and staged roadblocks, preventing private motorists from carrying passengers. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) met with taxi bosses on 7 September. The strike was suspended for 21 days.

READ | ‘Sick culture in every sphere in SA’, says Intercape CEO amid ongoing taxi battle

Also last week, in an application brought by the Engcobo Ratepayers Association, the Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha issued an interim order that Intercape be allowed to load and offload passengers directly in front of the Ngcobo police station.

The ratepayers' association had wanted the court to block the municipality from allowing Intercape to load and offload passengers, alleging that Intercape was disrupting the town.

The court instead ordered Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality to demarcate a parking area directly in front of the police station in High Street for Intercape to use, and to keep the stop clear and not to interfere with Intercape’s use of it. The municipality must also identify and create a permanent bus stop for Intercape within 90 days.

In December last year, the municipality and Ngcobo Taxi Association, using the same lawyers, lost an application to block Intercape. The Eastern Cape High Court in Makhanda confirmed the company had permits to operate.

In February, the police were ordered to protect Intercape’s buses. After the incident in June, the Ngcobo SAPS was put on notice to show why they should not be held in contempt for not following the February order.

“We prefer Intercape because it is spacious and affordable,” said Nolitha Selana, speaking to GroundUp while waiting for a bus outside the police station.”

Taxis are expensive, you get squashed in the taxis, and taxi drivers race on the road while we are passengers.

“Intercape has a bathroom inside the bus. It runs according to time and stops in designated areas for us to get refreshments. It has enough space even when you are travelling with your family.”

Ayabonga Madolo, also waiting for a bus, said taxi drivers “behave as if they are transporting animals, not humans. You could wet yourself if the driver does not feel like stopping. All they care about is money”.

Engcobo Ratepayers Association chairperson Vuyani Macingwane said the court order had given Intercape special treatment. He said there was a designated space for buses at the taxi rank, which Intercape should use, but the bus company did not want to subject itself to the rules other buses follow.

But in a statement, Intercape explained that its employees and passengers had faced repeated incidents of intimidation and violence in Ngcobo, making the normal stopping point unsafe and warranting SAPS protection.

In an interview with News24 on Sunday, Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira alleged that a coordinated disinformation and intimidation campaign against the company was being orchestrated by taxi operators, civic associations, police officers and local authorities.

Municipality spokesperson Zintle Bobelo said the municipality’s legal team is studying the court order and could not comment further.