NEWS - NAMIBIA
| 2013-07-24Taxi strike turns nasty in Windhoek
Clemans Miyanicwe
LATE . . . Akende Sisamu and daughter Rosah wait for a taxi in Katutura’s Grysblok. Rosah who attends Khomasdal Primary school, was late for class yesterday. Also in the picture are some students and workers looking for transport from those few taxi drivers who did not go on strike.
Photograph by Henry Van Rooi
THE strike by taxi drivers which was called by the Namibian Transport and Taxi Union (NTTU) was characterised by chaos yesterday as some drivers harassed and threatened passengers who had boarded taxis of the few drivers who did not to join the industrial action.
Several commuters were pulled out of cars and others verbally abused as they tried to get transport to different destinations in Windhoek.
Elsewhere in the country taxis continued to operate normally with some drivers in Oshakati reportedly saying they will travel to Windhoek to join others.
City Police spokesperson Helena Mootseng said even though taxi drivers were frustrated, it was illegal to push commuters around or to threaten them.
“Just like they have the right to strike, others also have the right not to strike,” Mootseng said.
She said City Police was initially informed that it was just a peaceful demonstration and not a strike.
Reports of taxi drivers pulling out passengers from cars were reported in Hans Dietrich Genscher, Omuvapu, Etetewe and Claudius Kandovasu streets in Katutura.
“Any taxi driver seen pulling people out of vehicles will be charged for disturbing peace, assault or creating a disorder,” City Police chief Abraham Kanime warned. NTTU president Werner Januarie said his union will not promote violence or incite taxi drivers to harass commuters.
“The police must enforce the law.
The union did not tell drivers to meet in streets and harass people,” Januarie said.
Januarie told the City Police that NTTU will only take responsibility of taxi drivers who are at an open field in Katutura’s Donkerhoek.
He said the taxi drivers will remain at the open field until their demands are met. The drivers are demonstrating against high traffic fines issued for breaking traffic regulations as well as other issues affecting them.
NTTU put the figure of the striking drivers at 900 although the figure appears to be less than that.
Elsewhere in the country taxis continued to operate normally with some drivers in Oshakati reportedly saying they will travel to Windhoek to join others.
City Police spokesperson Helena Mootseng said even though taxi drivers were frustrated, it was illegal to push commuters around or to threaten them.
“Just like they have the right to strike, others also have the right not to strike,” Mootseng said.
She said City Police was initially informed that it was just a peaceful demonstration and not a strike.
Reports of taxi drivers pulling out passengers from cars were reported in Hans Dietrich Genscher, Omuvapu, Etetewe and Claudius Kandovasu streets in Katutura.
“Any taxi driver seen pulling people out of vehicles will be charged for disturbing peace, assault or creating a disorder,” City Police chief Abraham Kanime warned. NTTU president Werner Januarie said his union will not promote violence or incite taxi drivers to harass commuters.
“The police must enforce the law.
The union did not tell drivers to meet in streets and harass people,” Januarie said.
Januarie told the City Police that NTTU will only take responsibility of taxi drivers who are at an open field in Katutura’s Donkerhoek.
He said the taxi drivers will remain at the open field until their demands are met. The drivers are demonstrating against high traffic fines issued for breaking traffic regulations as well as other issues affecting them.
NTTU put the figure of the striking drivers at 900 although the figure appears to be less than that.
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