South African Police Service (SAPS) commissioner Fannie Masemola says he will task all provincial commissioners with adopting a zero-tolerance approach to dealing with taxi patrollers and/or security personnel affiliated with taxi associations who harass and coerce motorists into making financial payments under threat.
This comes as the Mpumalanga provincial government has issued a stern warning against taxi patrollers who harassed motorists on the N4 toll road on two separate occasions after offering pedestrians lifts.
MOTORISTS HARASSED BY TAXI PATROLLERS URGED TO PRESS CRIMINAL CHARGES
The justice, crime prevention, and security cluster said taxi patrollers and/or security personnel affiliated with taxi associations have no right to harass and coerce motorists into making financial payments under threat, termed as ‘fines,’ as this constitutes financial extortion and other related criminal offences, particularly when accompanied by additional criminal acts such as confiscating keys of fellow motorists and holding them hostage.
“We strongly encourage victimised motorists to report these incidents to the South African Police Service and urge law enforcement agencies to take decisive action in stamping the state’s authority as and when such incidents are brought to their attention,” the JCPS said.
Speaking to Radio 702, Masemola said taxi associations and patrollers have no right to stop motorists on the road, whether they give someone a lift or not.
Masemola said they can patrol their taxis but not motorists.
TAXI COUNCIL WARNS AGAINST GIVING HITCHHIKERS LIFTS
Despite Masemola urging victims to lay criminal charges, a Mpumalanga motorist told Newzroom Afrika that police failed to assist him when he tried to do so.
Mahlangu said taxi patrollers took his company car and forced him to pay R2500 after he gave a lift to his neighbour.
The motorist said he was traveling to Nelspruit and saw her neighbor from Barberton at a spot that is 7km away from a taxi rank, and decided to give her a lift. Thereafter, two men entered his vehicle and confiscated the car keys.
“They told me they are not scared of the police. I opened a case but the police couldn’t go with me to the taxi rank. I showed them the pictures of the suspect, and they said there have been over three cases that have been opened against him at the Nelspruit police station, but he wasn’t arrested,” he explained.
In response, Santaco chairperson in Mpumalanga Fanyana Sibanyoni emphasised that car owners aren’t allowed to give pedestrians lifts because they infringe on their rights because, as taxi operators, they are the only ones who have a permit to pick up passengers.
Sibanyoni said motorists should first stop and explain to the security guard or taxi patrollers that the individual they want to pick up is a family member, which shouldn’t be an issue.
HAVE YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW BEEN IN A SIMILAR SITUATION?
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