The EC Dept. Transport & Community Safety MEC, Weziwe Tikana-Gxotiwe has called for maximum protection of lives and livelihoods at all times, as tensions between taxi operators and Somali nationals continue to simmer in Korsten, Gqeberha. These tensions reached boiling point on Wednesday when several foreign-owned shops as well as 8 taxis were torched after a fight broke out between a taxi driver and a Somali businessman.
Video clips of burning taxis as shouts of some religious slogans could be heard and the brazen brandishing of assault rifles went viral on social media on Wednesday evening.
MEC, Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe has condemned the violence, the arson attacks, and the brazen brandishing of assault rifles by some.
“I have seen, with complete dismay, the violence, the arson attacks, and the brazen brandishing of high caliber firearms. What has just happened in Korsten is unacceptable. We will not allow a situation where our beloved country and our province, in particular, are made to resemble a war zone. We have gun laws in this country and any disregard for those gun laws is punishable,” said Tikana-Gxotiwe.
More Public Order Police have been deployed in the area, and uneasy calm has somewhat been restored in the area. Tikana-Gxotiwe has commended the police for their swift response and for preserving lives.
She has also challenged the taxi industry to show the same kind of firm and sensible leadership they displayed when stood side by side with the government in the province, against the looting and vandalism that engulfed KZN and Gauteng in July - as they deal with this immediate challenge.