Commercial bus company Intercape has announced it will be suing National Police Minister Bheki Cele for failure to act against the reign of terror the company and its employees had been facing.
The bus company said it opened its first case on March 4, 2020, and while three years have passed and a further 164 more criminal cases were opened, not one suspect was arrested or prosecuted.
It said it is suing Cele for “complete and utter failure of police to stop the spate of attacks against the long-distance operator”.
Intercape said it has experienced a number of attacks in recent weeks, with at least 14 recorded incidents in the Eastern Cape alone.
Buses have been shot at and stoned, and its drivers and passengers have been intimidated by taxi operators in towns across the province.
The long-distance bus company has alleged the attacks amount to a campaign of organised crime and is part of a pattern of racketeering activity.
It said since March, three people have been shot and wounded, while two others seriously assaulted.
The company said parts of South Africa have been turned into a “mafia state” where taxi operators rule with impunity.
This is, according to Intercape, the result of the failed leadership of Cele and President Cyril Ramaphosa who appointed him.
Intercape CEO, Johann Ferreira said police have done nothing.
“We hold Minister Cele responsible for every failure of the police under his watch and we will not stop until there is full accountability to the travelling public in South Africa,” he says.
Intercape has called on the Hawks to investigate the attacks.