The City of Tshwane is not suspending operations on Tuesday morning after their buses were pelted with stones on Monday.
The buses were damaged in Belle Ombre, Pretoria North and another one outside the C De Wet Bus Depot in the Pretoria CBD. Four suspects were arrested for malicious damage to property and intimidation.
The City of Tshwane commend the swift action by law enforcement agencies for the arrest of four suspects accused of pelting three Tshwane Bus Services (TBS) with stones in different parts of the city on Monday.
Acting Group head communication, event and marketing Selby Bokaba said one suspect was found in possession of a bag full of stones. The arrests were a result of a multidisciplinary operation undertaken jointly by the SAPS Dog Unit and Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD), aimed at curbing criminality that has characterised the unlawful and unprotected strike by some employees of the city.
The suspects are facing charges of malicious damage to property and intimidation. The TBS resumed operations this morning after almost three months of absence owing to some employees who participated in the strike action, which has been declared unlawful and unprotected by the Labour Court in July 2023.
“The City of Tshwane commends the swift action by law enforcement agencies for the arrest of four suspects accused of pelting three Tshwane Bus Services,” Bokaba said.
He said the court subsequently granted the city a permanent interdict against the striking workers in September 2023. This morning, the TBS operated 36 of the 160 daily shifts. Majority of the drivers reported for duty but refused to drive the buses.
Internal processes are underway to deal with the workers who refused to execute their duties today. Tshwane management is adamant that the bus services will not be withdrawn amid the intimidation and will instead beef up security to protect the bus drivers, valued commuters as well as the bus fleet.
“The SAPS and TMPD have vowed to clamp down harshly on anyone who intimidates the non-striking employees and those who partake in acts of violence.
The law enforcement agencies are on alert around all the routes operated by TBS and at the depots,” Bokaba said.
MMC of roads and transport Katlego Mathebe said we like to confirm that the A Re Yeng and Tshwane buses services operations remain operational amid at challenges.
The city will continue to forge ahead with the operation in line with the required and necessary support from the security cluster.
The A re Yeng buses morning shift did not experience interruption and all its bus drivers attended to their post as expected.
Tshwane bus services were schedule to work is normal operations only 46 out of the 160 morning bus shift operated. The city administration will have to follow due process to engage all bus drivers who refuse to carry out their duties.
“We are under attack with three of our buses have been pelted with stones and we are making some breakthrough with TMPD and SAPS been on the ground and having arrested 4 people believed to have damages our buses.
Our services will continue on Tuesday morning we are definitely not suspending any operations,” Mathebe said.