South Africa

South Africa

In pictures: Mamelodi’s transport troubles

In pictures: Mamelodi’s transport troubles

There was a heavy police presence in Mamelodi on Monday after attacks last week on Autopax buses that took over routes operated by Putco in Mamelodi. There's been no violence recorded since Friday, but the situation remains tense. By GREG NICOLSON & SIBONISO MNCUBE.

_MG_4494

Photo: Sitting in the old Putco depot, many Autopax buses feature windows smashed during a protest led by the taxi industry last week. (Greg Nicolson)

_MG_4499

Photo: Like many other Putco employees, mechanics DA Machaba and Meshack Ramaloko are likely to lose their jobs as Putco has given up the routes to Autopax. The employees have gone to court to keep their jobs and potentially be transferred to another Putco depot. (Greg Nicolson)

_MG_4522

Photo: The Autopax buses were all back in action on Monday keeping Autopax cleaner Theodore Ramango busy. (Greg Nicolson)

_MG_4547

Photo: Operation Fiela was deployed to the township on Monday and while the army was not present, there was a huge police presence at the bus depot. (Greg Nicolson)

_MG_4564

Photo: As the Autopax buses are back on the roads, the situation remains tense with the Mamelodi taxi industry unhappy with consultation process that led to Autopax buses on the streets and the police cracking down on taxis without permits. Each Autopax bus that goes out still needs a police escort. (Greg Nicolson)

_MG_4611

Photo: At a taxi rank on Monday, Danny Manamela, a local taxi owner, criticised the government for replacing the Putco buses with Autopax buses, claiming there was insufficient consultation and with multiple bus systems now in the township the taxi industry will lose profits. (Greg Nicolson)

DSC_1184

Photo: Through the window of a taxi in a Mamelodi rank, a police officer talks on his phone during the ongoing tension. (Siboniso Mncube)

DSC_1159

Photo: The Autopax buses were lined up on Monday at the depot, ready to go out with police escorts. (Siboniso Mncube)

DSC_1173

Photo: The Putco depot in Mamelodi is now full of both Autopax buses and police, while Putco employees mill about discussing whether they will get to keep their jobs. (Siboniso Mncube)

DSC_1180

Photo: An Autopax bus enters the depot while police depart, with the SAPS constantly accompanying the buses to prevent violence, a challenge some say the police cannot maintain while Autopax services the old Putco routes for at least three months. (Siboniso Mncube)

Main photo: A bus with a windscreen smashed in the protests last week sits in the Mamelodi depot. (Greg Nicolson)

Gallery

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

X

This article is free to read.

Sign up for free or sign in to continue reading.

Unlike our competitors, we don’t force you to pay to read the news but we do need your email address to make your experience better.


Nearly there! Create a password to finish signing up with us:

Please enter your password or get a sign in link if you’ve forgotten

Open Sesame! Thanks for signing up.

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Become a Maverick Insider

This could have been a paywall

On another site this would have been a paywall. Maverick Insider keeps our content free for all.

Become an Insider

Every seed of hope will one day sprout.

South African citizens throughout the country are standing up for our human rights. Stay informed, connected and inspired by our weekly FREE Maverick Citizen newsletter.