Two wounded, five arrested amid Eastern Cape taxi protests
Five people were arrested in Mthatha on Monday morning for allegedly firing shots at the police who were tailing a Toyota Fortuner with five occupants inside.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Priscilla Naidu said the incident happened in the early hours of Monday on the bypass from the Ultra City, which joins the road to Ngcobo.
She said shots were fired at the police, who returned fire, wounding two people.
Naidu said two firearms were seized by members of the Public Order Policing and Mthatha Vispol members.
"Provincial commissioner is warning those who are circulating videos and messages that appear to incite unrest,” she said, adding that such actions are not only irresponsible but also illegal.
"We will take strict action against anyone found to be engaging in activities that threaten the safety and security of the public and the integrity of the election process".
Naidu says the National Intervention Unit and Tactical Response Teams are in Mthatha to police the situation.
The Eastern Cape Transport Department earlier urged motorists travelling to Mthatha to either delay their travel or avoid the town completely as the exits were blocked by protesting taxi operators.
Department spokesperson Unathi Binqose said they “hijacked” trucks and used them to blockade both sides of the N2 as well as the R61.
He said, as a result, the Mthatha Airport was also closed for the time being.
This weekend, the Transport MEC, Xolile Nqata, sounded a warning after several voice notes and videos emerged on social media calling for a complete shutdown of Mthatha just days before the elections.
The actions of the taxi operators appear to be a response to a crackdown by authorities following an outbreak of violence last week.
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