SAPS today fired rubber bullets at protesting Taxi drivers as they sang Dubula song at an intersection of a major road in Gauteng today.
Police fire rubber bullets during taxi strike
The dramatic scenes came after six of the largest taxi associations in the Gauteng province notified the government that they will embarking on a strike on Monday as they refused R1.1 billion offered by the government of South Africa as Covid-19 relief. The taxi strike left many travellers stranded.
Major roads blockage due to Taxi strike
Not only did the taxi operators fail to operate to day, but they also blocked the major road linking Pretoria and Johannesburg with the rest of the country. Long congested queues were witnessed today as taxi drivers packed their taxis at intersections and robots.
Taxi bosses say Mbalula must fall
Taxi operators and drivers are not happy with the way SAPS has treated them, speaking to Savanna News today, the drivers are now targeting Mbalula as they feel the Minister has let them down.
“Mbalula must fall. He doesn’t represent our interests, we thought he was going to listen to us as he is one of us but he is representing the government, and the government is against us,” one taxi driver said in Pretoria.
Read More: Videos: 5 times SANDF neutralised Taxi drivers today #TaxiStrike
The taxi drivers have also accused Mbalula for not giving black business a chance.
“Look, just because we are black is the reason he is praying bullets on us. What kind of treatment is that. If white people ask for dialogue from the government, do they shoot them? Its only because we are black and Mbalula doesn’t take us seriously.”
Reaction to police firing rubber bullets during taxi strike
Here is how South Africans reacted to the shooting of taxi drivers with rubber bullets:
‘They sang Dubula dubula!!!! And shit went South real quick”
“They asked for it unfortunately the mabenas were ready”