In an unusual turn of events, taxi drivers operating the Solomon Mahlangu Drive in Mamelodi East, Pretoria, assumed the role of police yesterday and stopped protesting residents from barricading the roads.
Two Toyota Quantums packed with taxi drivers confronted protesters who had blocked the busy road since the morning for a service delivery protest. The protesters had placed stones, bricks and burning tyres across the road.
The taxi drivers claimed the protest was affecting their daily operations. “We already had a rough month with schools being closed and not having enough people to transport.
"We lost a lot of money. Now that schools are open, these residents want to block the roads and deprive us of our daily bread,” said one taxi driver.
Another taxi driver said protesters should not involve them in their business. “Why must their business affect the rest of the community?”
The drivers threatened to use violence if the protesters refused to open the road for vehicles. They each carried batons and sticks and threatened to use them.
Police kept a keen eye on protesters and taxi drivers. The protesters later dispersed while taxi drivers cleared the road of debris, burnt tyres and stones.
Metrorail said its morning peak train service was disrupted due to the violence.
The residents had moved their protest action from Pienaarspoort to Metrorail’s railway line, stoning passing trains and burning tyres on the rail tracks.
Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng said: “We strongly condemn the tendency of communities we serve to take any protests, including municipal service delivery-related frustrations, to the railway, as it negatively impacts on hundreds of commuters dependent on trains to get to their destination and economic activities.”
Residents from Kopanong informal settlement had taken to the streets in the morning and barricaded roads, while protesting against poor service delivery.
They claimed mayor Solly Msimanga had not visited the area since taking office last year.
The residents are among those who had been moved from Stoffel Park and Extension 11 informal settlement to Kopanong informal settlement in 2015.
They said they were promised permanent stands with water and electricity, but none of this had come to fruition.