A social worker is still reeling in shock after being accosted by violent protesters amid the ongoing provincial taxi strike, which left the 37-year-old fleeing for his life shortly before his branded work vehicle was set alight in full view of motorists.
The incident is one of several sporadic acts of public violence and disruptions that gripped the Helderberg and other parts of the metropole since last Thursday (3 August). Vehicles being stoned and torched, serious injuries to drivers, shoot-outs and run-ins with police and illegal road closures along arterial roads were among incidents that plagued communities, had underresourced authorities inundated and social media channels abuzz as commuters scrambled for information on open, safe routes in and out of the basin.
On Friday morning (4 August) police and various law-enforcement agencies were called to action when incidents of public violence flared-up in the Lwandle community and surrounds as well as the N2 highway. Law-enforcement officers responded to reports of objects being set alight outside the Lwandle Police Station on the corner of Onverwacht and Michael Street around 11:50 and on arrival found a group of men who started pelting them with stones. A 34-year-old man was successfully pursued and arrested for public violence after hurling a brick at an officer who sustained serious injuries to his right arm.
Social worker Robin Chiriseri was targeted when out working in Nomzamo around noon on Friday. The dedicated employee at Patch, the Helderberg Centre for Child Victims of Sexual Abuse, also serves as its charity shop manager (“Le Patch shop in need of support,” DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, 2 August). He recalled driving along Hlathi Drive in Asanda Village, where he was flagged down by two men wanting to know whether he was a driver offering transport services.
After replying “no” and explaining he worked for the non-profit organisation that provides holistic services to child survivors of sexual abuse the men proceeded to snatch the keys of the Volkswagen Caddy, yank him from the vehicle and assault him.
The men also wanted to take his phone, but Chiriseri successfully resisted and called Patch manager Ada Buys with an urgent request to alert the police.
“After I spoke to the police I called him again,” Buys took the story up. “He was upset as he saw the assailants setting the car on fire. I told him to walk away to safety as his life was more important than the vehicle at that point. He walked away from the car towards the N2.”
Chiriseri managed to flee the scene as one of the assailants apparently said to the other “let him go, he works in the community; we just take the car.”
A clip shared of the incident captured on video by a passerby shows the vehicle going up in flames as young scholars look on in shock and disbelief.
While Chiriseri expressed his gratitude to have survived the incident unscathed, Buys said Patch was disheartened by the traumatic ordeal the valued employee had to endure.
“I am very sad that this happened to one of my social workers who has served the community for many years. This was senseless, this prevents us from providing services to child victims of sexual abuse. This influences my whole team at Patch. The nature of our job is not to sit in our offices and to be out working. If we allow this to happen, children will not receive the services they need,” Buys elaborated.
Another incident of public violence occurred in Main Road, Van der Stel, after the N2 bridge at 15:00 on Friday.
According to a Strand police report, the complainant allegedly dropped a colleague at the side of the road when a large group of pedestrians ran toward the vehicle, hurling stones at the white Nissan NP200 bakkie. The complainant took the keys and exited the vehicle moments before it was set alight. The vehicle was gutted along with the complainant’s HP laptop and iPhone which was still inside.
The City of Cape Town confirmed late on Monday night (7 August) that an urgent interdict had been secured against the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) taxi strike violence, stating: “The order states that no person, vehicle, taxi or driver may unreasonably obstruct, interfere or block any vehicle on any public road, throughout the City Metropole, in such manner as to harm passengers, or delay or impede the flow of traffic. The interdict further prohibits any person from interfering with the operations of any transportation depot.”
The City reiterated that until the violence stops, there could be no further discussions after talks between Santaco, the City and the Western Cape government collapsed at the weekend and widespread strike-induced public violence ensued.
