Moutse

Moutse residents torch four buses,

causing R5m in damages

MOUTSE

By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane &

Sydney Masinga

Residents of Moutse in Limpopo who are

demanding that their area be returned

to Mpumalanga torched four commuter

buses on Wednesday morning.

Limpopo police spokesperson

Superintendent Mohale Ramatseba

confirmed that four buses belonging

to Great North Transport (GNT) were

torched in Hlogotlou village.

“The buses were torched and police have

are investigating a case of malicious

damage to property,” said Ramatseba.

Ramatseba said no one was injured

during the incident but was unable to

give further details.

Moutse Demarcation Forum

spokesperson and local secretary of

the South African Communist Party

(SACP), Seun Mogotji, said the buses

were torched following a dispute

between opposing groups.

He said a group of African National

Congress (ANC) members opposed

to the reincorporation of Moutse into

Mpumalanga were planning a protest

march for Saturday.

“They hired GNT buses to transport

villagers from villages outside Moutse

to join the protest and pose as Moutse

residents, so the residents became angry

sent a warning to the company,” said

Mogotji.

He said the buses were burned to make

GNT “think twice” before giving their

services to the ANC members who will

be protesting.

ANC member and convener of the

protest march Tseke Lepota said the

protest would continue.

“We have nothing to do with what these

people did today. All we know is that

our march will continue as planned as

we are opposed to leaving this province,”

said Lepota.

He said “going to and fro” was not good

for the people of Moutse as it disturbed

service delivery.

“It’s not like we will physically be lifted

from here to another province. We are

ANC members and we believe that the

services are improving in this area,” he

protested.

GNT spokesperson Leo Gama confirmed

the incident and said the damage was

estimated at around R5 million.

“The damage is pretty immense. We put

these buses there to help breadwinners

go to work every day, but now they have

destroyed them in anger,” said Gama.

GNT has not suspended its operations

in the area as yet. Gama said the

company’s management would have to

sit and decide what steps to take.

Meanwhile, Parliament’s Portfolio

Committee on Transport heard from

the South African Transport and Allied

Workers Union that a R1,2 billion bus

subsidy debt could affect about 1,5

million commuters.

“[The committee heard] that the bus

subsidy crisis is likely to cost about 26

000 employees their jobs and badly affect

one-and-a-half million commuters,” said

parliamentary spokesperson Yoliswa

Landu, in a statement.

Yandu said the committee heard that no

subsidies had been paid to bus operators

since November last year.

She said the committee will summon

the national treasury and the roads and

transport department to give their sides

of the story.

“In the meantime, the committee has

called on the government to ensure that

at least contingency funding from the

department of transport and treasury

is made available before the end of the

month,” she said.

However, GNT has said its customers

across Limpopo and Mpumalanga can

rest assured that they won’t be affected

by the feud between other bus companies

and government.

“Our customers can relax because they

are not affected. We have been paid our

money,” said Gama.

Sopurce: http://www.ziwaphi.com/ziwaphi/VOL_3_NO_2_30_January_2009_files/vol%203%20no%202.pdf