Pretoria - Chaos has erupted in the Pretoria CBD as taxi operators torched stores owned by foreign nationals who they suspect are dealing drugs to the youth. Taxi operators are angry after a Nigerian national allegedly shot and killed a taxi driver on Tuesday.

The taxi drivers had confronted alleged drug dealers and buyers near Bloed Street Mall. The drivers have been at loggerheads with the drug dealers for a while.

It was at that moment that shots were fired, killing a taxi driver.

The current situation is very hostile and police are not having much luck stopping the torching and looting of stores.

Looters can be seen running up the streets with stolen television sets and breaking the phones of those taking pictures or recording video.

The chaos comes a day after traffic came to a standstill in the CBD when taxi drivers blocked intersections with metro buses.

Tshwane metro police department spokesperson senior superintendent Isaac Mahamba said their members managed to clear the road and remove the buses to relieve traffic.

Motorists on Tuesday had to find alternative routes to navigate through the heart of the nation's capital.

Alternative routes meant motorists driving the wrong way down one-way streets, illegal U-turning and using any space they could find in order to get out of the city centre as quickly as possible.

Tuesday's shooting infuriated taxi operators, who have been taking strong action against drugs in the CBD. They hijacked numerous buses and blocked roads.

Roads and Transport MMC Sheila Lynn Senkubuge condemned the violence that resulted in disruption of public transport operations.

“A shooting which resulted in the death of a taxi driver is reported to have incited the riots.

"The riots led to two A Re Yeng and three Tshwane Bus Services and Gautrain buses as well as two trucks being utilised to blockade the roads. </s> South African Capital City, Pretoria, CBD has descended into chaos, as reports coming in from sources claim that foreign-owned shops have been targeted by angry rioters.

What is happening in Pretoria CBD?

Based on the information that is circulating on social media, it is not safe to be walking in and around the Pretoria CBD area.

#PretoriaCBD current scenes. Police remain outnumbered and looting & torching of spaza shops continues #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/yKRSS8tp9f — Sipho Stuurman (@Sipho_Stuurman) August 28, 2019

According to @TrafficSA, a well-reputed road traffic news source, riots have broken out in the capital’s central business district, and foreign-owned shops are at the receiving end of the violence.

What has fuelled the riots?

The details are sketchy at the moment but it appears that the riots have been fuelled by the death of a taxi driver.

Avoid using Pretoria CBD routes today. Apparently a South African man was shot by Nigerians after witnessing them selling drugs and seeing the actual supplier. May his soul Rest In Peace! 🙏🏽🙌🏽 #pretoriacbd pic.twitter.com/uGrmgjSzFl — O L E T I L W E 🌈 (@Iam_Kardas) August 28, 2019

Police have not issued an official statement nor has the City of Tshwane issued any updates on the events that are unfolding in Pretoria CBD.

However, according to research, the revolt allegedly comes after a taxi driver was murdered by foreign nationals. This, however, has not been confirmed as SAPS in Pretoria have not said anything.

@TrafficSA has, on Wednesday morning, issued a warning to motorists and commuters: Avoid Pretoria CBD at all cost.

This is a developing story. More information will be provided as and when we receive updates. </s> Pretoria - Firefighters have been given protection to put out fires and save burning buildings on Lilian Ngoyi Street amid anti-drugs protests in the Pretoria CBD. The work is proving to be difficult as some of the burning stores are still locked and special equipment is needed to break them open

While they spray water on the relentless fires, explosions can be heard coming from inside the buildings.

 

 Earlier in the morning, the firefighters could not do their work as protesters chased them away from the buildings.

Armed police officers have surrounded the buildings they are trying to save.

However, store owners are heartbroken and disappointed that they've now lost all their stock.

Taxi operators said they want Police Minister Bheki Cele to come and talk to them to show that taxi drivers' concerns are also taken serious.

Xolly Tshabalala of Santaco said: "It's about time the police show us that they take taxi drivers seriously in this country.

"We are not xenophobic, we are fighting to protect the youth of this country.

"Drug dealers are ruining the lives of our young people selling them nyaope and other drugs right here in town and they get away with it.

"They even killed one of our taxi drivers and that will just go unpunished."

The chaos comes a day after traffic came to a standstill in the CBD when taxi drivers blocked intersections with metro buses.

They are angry after a Nigerian national allegedly shot and killed a taxi driver on Tuesday. </s> A taxi driver was killed during a protest which erupted in the Pretoria inner city after taxi operators tried to forcefully remove alleged drug addicts from the streets.

The Gautrain bus service was forced to stop operating on Tuesday after what it described on its official app as "escalating violence" in the Pretoria CBD.

SAPS spokesman Capt Mavela Masondo confirmed that a group of taxi drivers had been complaining of drug addicts at the Bloed rank.

He said that the taxi drivers chased after a suspected drug addict and a shot was fired. One of the taxi drivers was hit, and was declared dead on the scene.

"There is no information as to who shot the taxi driver," said Masondo.

No arrests have been made.

City of Tshwane MMC for transport, Sheila Senkubuge, told SowetanLIVE that parts of the inner city came to a standstill as six vehicles were seized by disgruntled protesters on Tuesday afternoon.

“A shooting which resulted in the death of a taxi driver is reported to have incited the riots, which led to two A Re Yeng buses, three Tshwane Bus Service [TBS] buses, a Gautrain bus and two trucks being used to blockade the roads,” said Senkubuge.

The A Re Yeng and TBS bus operations were halted for the rest of the day "in the interest of safety", she added.

The seized buses were not damaged.

“The taking of a human life is never justified and the perpetrators of this murder and unlawful usage of public transport vehicles must be made accountable for these crimes,” Senkubuge said.

According to information received by TimesLIVE's sister publication SowetanLIVE, it is understood that a group of taxi operators decided to clean the city’s streets of "nyaope boys" after learning that taxi drivers were now using the drugs.

It is unclear whether the group was made up of taxi drivers or owners, but the group pounced on one of the spots where the drugs were sold.

According to sources, people believed to be police officers were found by the taxi operators involved in the selling of the drugs. Shots were then fired which resulted in the death of the taxi driver.

Incited by the shooting, angry taxi operators then used the city’s buses to block traffic to “deal” with the nyaope boys.

According to Traffic SA there was "heavy congestion" in the CBD due to roads being closed. Shops were also closed.

Attempts to get comment from SAPS and metro police were not immediately successful on Tuesday evening. </s> A taxi driver was killed in a shooting and riot in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Tshwane transport MMC Sheila Senkubuge said in a statement that parts of the inner city came to a standstill as disgruntled protesters seized six vehicles on Tuesday afternoon.

According to Sowetan, people believed to be police officers were found by taxi operators to allegedly be involved in the selling of the drugs.

Shots were reportedly fired, resulting in the death of the taxi driver. Angry taxi operators then used the City’s buses to block traffic to “deal” with the nyaope (drug) boys.

“A shooting which resulted in the death of a taxi driver is reported to have incited the riots, which led to two A Re Yeng buses, three Tshwane Bus Service (TBS) buses, a Gautrain bus and two trucks being utilised to blockade the roads. A Re Yeng and TBS operations were halted for the rest of the day in the interest of safety,” Senkubuge said.

“A Re Yeng C3 and F5 feeder routes were among the affected public transport routes as riots unfolded in the vicinity of Bloed Mall. The affected streets include Sisulu, Boom, and Soutpansberg streets. At the time of this release, the buses and trucks were reported as not damaged.

“The taking of a human life is never justified and the perpetrators of this murder and unlawful usage of public transport vehicles must be made accountable for these crimes.”

The details of the deceased will be communicated after notification of the next of kin and through the police platforms.

Senkubuge apologised for the inconvenience caused by the disruptions to public transport within the CBD and urged commuters to avoid the CBD and take alternative routes and modes of transport.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android. </s> Pretoria - Chaos similar to that witnessed during the strike by municipal workers a few weeks ago played itself out yet again following a commotion sparked by taxi drivers' action against drugs in the CBD on Tuesday. Traffic came to a standstill and just as what happened when municipal workers blocked major intersections with metro buses during the strike, motorists on Tuesday had to find alternative routes to navigate through the heart of the nation's capital.

Alternative routes meant driving the wrong way down one-way streets, illegal U-turning and basically using any space and corridor they could find in order to get out of the city centre as quickly as possible.

The taxi drivers had confronted drug dealers and buyers near Bloed Street Mall.

The drivers have been at loggerheads with the drug dealers for a while.

An altercation ensued after the dealers and buyers reportedly resisted.

It was at that moment that shots were fired, killing a taxi driver.

The incident infuriated taxi operators, who have been taking strong action against drugs in the CBD.

Tshwane metro police department spokesperson senior superintendent Isaac Mahamba said their members managed to clear the road and remove the buses to relieve traffic.

Roads and Transport MMC Sheila Lynn Senkubuge condemned the violence, which resulted in disruption of public transport operations.

“A shooting which resulted in the death of a taxi driver is reported to have incited the riots.

"The riots led to two A Re Yeng and three Tshwane Bus Services and Gautrain buses as well as two trucks being utilised to blockade the roads.

“A Re Yeng and Tshwane Bus Services operations were halted for the remainder of the day in the interest of safety. A Re Yeng C3 and F5 feeder routes were among the affected public transport routes as riots unfolded in the vicinity of Bloed Mall.

“The affected streets included Sisulu, Boom and Soutpansberg. At the time of this release, ceased buses and trucks were reportedly not damaged,” said Senkubuge.

The MMC said the taking of a human life was never justified and that the perpetrators of this murder and unlawful usage of public transport vehicles to block roads should be punished.

“The City would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused by the disruptions to public transport operations within the CBD,” she said from the scene in the tragedy.

Senkubuge added that the details of the deceased would be communicated after notification of the next of kin and through police platforms.

SAPS spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said while a case of murder would be opened, investigations had already started looking for the culprit.

“At the moment we don't have any information about the suspect or suspects, but we are on top of the matter.

"We are, however, also appealing to members of the public to help us catch the person responsible.” He urged people with information to contact the police on 0860 10111. </s> Protests have once again erupted in the Pretoria CBD as motorists were met with a chaotic scene on Tuesday.

IOL reports that two A Re Yeng buses, three Tshwane Bus Service buses and Gautrain buses were hijacked by enraged taxi drivers to block roads and resist drugs in the region.

Motorists were essentially trapped in the streets of the CBD, resorting to illegal U-turns and driving through one-ways until police removed the buses and cleared the road.

Taxi drivers in Pretoria have clashed with drug dealers on numerous occasions in the past. It is reported that drivers in the area confronted known drug affiliates in the city, an advance that was rejected by dealers and buyers.

Police condemned the shooting, as well as the actions of the taxi drivers.

Protests recently erupted in the Pretoria CBD as an unauthorised bus strike plagued the city for days, with the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) blocking the CBD with municipal trucks and buses. The strike was a result of the City of Tshwane’s decisions to upgrade salaries of top executives by 18%, dating back to 2017, in which lower-level employees were left out.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android. </s> South African police on Friday fired rubber bullets at protesters after President cut short a foreign trip to deal with violent riots over alleged government corruption and poor public services.

Shops were looted, roads were blocked and vehicles set alight in North West province in unrest that posed an early challenge for Ramaphosa, who came to power in February.

At least 23 people were arrested and one man was reported to have died in sporadic violence that erupted this week in Mahikeng, the provincial capital.

Ramaphosa arrived in the city on Friday and was locked in talks with local leaders after he cut short his trip to a Commonwealth summit in London.

Violent protests are common in South Africa, but North West province has been a hotbed of unrest due to boiling frustration over lack of housing, health services and jobs.

Police fired rubber bullets as protesters hid behind cardboard sheets, while roads were littered with burning tyres and bricks that had been thrown through the air.

In a statement, Ramaphosa expressed "serious concern" over clashes between police and protesters.

He called for people "to express their grievances through peaceful means and engagement rather than violence and anarchy" and urged security forces to show restraint.

The trigger for the unrest was reportedly the death on Tuesday of two patients at a health clinic that was closed due to a month-long dispute over health workers' salaries and contracts.

Much of the anger has been directed at Supra Mahumapelo, the provincial premier, who is accused of involvement in graft scandals that have engulfed the ruling ANC (African National Congress) party.

"We are doing our best to keep the situation under control," police spokesman Sabata Mokgwabone told ENCA television.

"We asked for reinforcement from other provinces and head offices." The border to neighbouring Botswana was closed due to the violence, while schools, shops, offices and government services across North West province were shut.

Local residents said foreign-owned shops were the first to be targeted by looters.

"Very poor people are in dire need. Those people looted foreigners' shops," local resident Leveticus Molosankwe, 43, told AFP.

"They have taken advantage of the political situation as people plead for the removal of Mahumapelo. This has been simmering for months."

 

 Thapelo Galeboe, member of the local Communist Party branch, said the premier ruled "like an emperor" in the province.

"The health system has completely collapsed. Hospitals are filthy. Families close to the premier have benefited in a very corrupt manner from tenders," he said.

Ramaphosa, who took over as leader of the ruling African National Congress in December, replaced Jacob Zuma as national president earlier this year.

The ANC forced Zuma from office in February largely due to his mounting legal challenges and multiple corruption scandals, and the party has distanced itself from its former leader.

Ramaphosa has vowed to crack down on government corruption, which he has admitted is a serious problem, and improve South Africa's ability to attract foreign investment.

Unemployment is at a record high of about 28 per cent, with youth unemployment reaching over 50 per cent in many areas.

Zuma appeared in court earlier this month at a preliminary hearing on graft charges that he denies. </s> Commuters using Metrobus services in Tshwane were left stranded on Wednesday after the city withdrew its services due to safety concerns.

The suspension comes after bus drivers were intimidated on Tuesday by taxi operators.

The conflict began when taxi drivers fought with alleged drug dealers, which led to a driver being shot dead.

RELATED: Taxi drivers and alleged drug dealers scuffle leads to fatality in Tshwane CBD

Taxi drivers took to the streets, saying they are tired of drugs in the area.

Ray White on the Xolani Gwala Show speaks to EWN reporter Bonga Dlulane and Tshwane Transport MMC Sheila Senkubuge.

Dlulane says the situation in the capital is worse than it was on Wednesday morning.

What is happening here is nothing short of a war zone, firefighters are trying to put out fires in shops in the CBD. The situation is calm but tense at the moment. — Bonga Dlulane, Reporter - EWN

It appears that the anger by taxi drivers is focused on foreign nationals as there are shops that have been looted and burnt down, he adds.

Dlulane says the police are currently monitoring the situation.

When the police try to calm a situation on one part of the city, violence flares up in another area. When police fire rubber bullets, the crowds retaliate with stones. — Bonga Dlulane, Reporter - EWN

Senkubuge says the situation is tense in the capital and she is waiting on law-enforcement agencies to give her feedback on whether arrests have been made.

We are meeting with law-enforcement agencies along with taxi association leaders to try and sort this matter out as speedily as possible. — Sheila Senkubuge, Transport MMC - City of Tshwane

She adds that even though the situation is handled, bus services will remain suspended.

Listen below to the full conversation:
Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, experiences widespread looting and violent attacks by rioters focused on foreigners. Police are currently outnumbered and many businesses have been set on fire. The riots follow the death of a taxi driver reportedly shot by Nigerian drug dealers after they realized he had seen them complete a drug deal and had also seen their supplier. Bus services are suspended and authorities say the capital is currently unsafe.