MyCiTi arsonists must face full might of the law

12 January 2023

I want to make it unequivocally clear to those who are hell-bent on disrupting and sabotaging the City of Cape Town’s MyCiTi bus service that we will not tolerate any violence and attacks. In these hard times where Capetonians have to battle unemployment, constant load-shedding and the high cost of living, we will do all we can to ensure our commuters can count on us for a reliable and safe public transport service. We have deployed a number of officers from our Metro Police Service, Traffic Services and Transport Enforcement Unit to patrol the Hout Bay and Imizamo Yethu areas since last night’s attack and will act as needed to protect passengers, bus drivers, and our assets.

On this note, I want to commend the South African Police Service and the City’s Law Enforcement services for arresting one of the alleged perpetrators involved in the attack that left a MyCiTi bus burnt out close to the traffic circle in Imizamo Yethu. This person must face the full might of the law and I trust more arrests will follow suit. The City has opened a case of attempted murder, arson and malicious damage to property – the replacement cost of the 9m bus amounts to approximately R1,3 million.

The trouble started at around 17:25 yesterday evening, 11 January 2023, with a minibus-taxi related protest where participants blocked the traffic circle at Imizamo Yethu. A MyCiTi bus servicing the route between the Adderley Street station in the Cape Town CBD and Hout Bay was stoned when the bus driver stopped in the vicinity of the IY traffic circle to allow approximately 40 passengers to disembark. The bus driver was instructed to get out of the bus and it was set alight. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

Yesterday’s protest followed after the City’s Traffic Services responded to reports that minibus-taxis were ranking illegally in the area, and that some vehicles were operating without operating licences.

It is understood that the Hout Bay Taxi Association was in discussions with the SAPS well into the evening. Apparently a few minibus-taxi drivers gathered again earlier this morning, 12 January 2023, but no incidents of violence have been reported.

The City will keep on monitoring the situation to ensure the safety and well-being of our commuters and MyCiTi personnel. Deviations will be enforced as and when needed. We will not accept or tolerate lawlessness, neither retaliation attacks as a result of the enforcement of the City’s by-laws and transport regulations.

Caption: A MyCiTi bus was stoned and set alight at the bus stop at Imizamo Yethu early yesterday evening. No injuries were reported and one perpetrator was arrested.

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office

MyCiTi crime Fire