Gautrain bus strike gets ugly

In the latest string of violent incidents involving Gautrain buses, a driver, allegedly lured into stopping for a passenger, was shot in an attack in Centurion on Monday morning.

The early-morning shooting is the latest violent incident over the past six weeks involving Gautrain buses and follows a string of threats made by striking drivers on Friday against their non-striking colleagues.

The incidents - which include intimidation, arson, stonings, shootings and assaults - are thought to be linked to four illegal strikes and the dismissal of more than 300 Gautrain bus drivers.

The shooting, which comes a week after a Gautrain bus was set alight, occurred as 40-year-old Patrick Kgatle stopped outside an Engen Garage at the intersection of Theuns van Niekerk and Reddersburg streets while driving to a bus stop in Estcourt Avenue.

It is believed that as Kgatle stopped for a passenger, a man, who had been driving behind the bus in a light blue Toyota Corolla, got out of the car, ran to the front of the bus and shot Kgatle through the door, before driving off in his car.

Kgatle, who was shot in the buttocks, drove off, eventually stopping at the bus stop where police and paramedics found him.

Petrol attendant Elfast Tlhako said the shooting was over within moments. “It was so quick. I was waiting for a customer when I heard two gunshots. They were so loud. It was just ‘bang, bang’ and then people were screaming and running.

“We ran to the bus, which had people inside, and tried to get the driver to stop, but he didn’t. He just drove off,” he said.

Tlhako said panicky people ran towards the garage and nearby houses to escape. “No one knew what was happening. There were the bangs, screams and then people running. It was very scary,” he said.

Businessman Arno Smit, who lives opposite the bus stop, had just waved goodbye to his girlfriend when the bus stopped.

“You could see the driver sitting in his seat. I thought he was waiting for passengers and I didn’t know anything was wrong until the police and ambulances arrived.

“When the emergency services arrived, I ran across the road to the bus. You could see two bullet holes in the door. The paramedics put him flat on to the floor before they carried him on a stretcher to the ambulance and drove off,” he said.

A Pretoria driver, begging not to be named out of fear for his family’s safety, said strikers had been intimidating non-striking drivers for weeks. “Every day there are threats. We have guns pointed at us. We are beaten and our families are threatened. We were operating until today (Monday), but with this shooting we are too afraid. I am scared my family will be killed.

“The strikers threatened us on Friday. They told us if we drove today they would teach us a lesson.”

He said the strikers wanted to be employed by Bombela instead of Mega Express, the company they were contracted to. “They are angry over the lack of transport to and from work. We have to be at work at 3.30am with the last drivers finishing at 10.30pm, which means there is no public transport available.

“These problems must be solved before people are killed,” he said.

Bombela spokeswoman Kelebogile Machaka said the shooting occurred as the driver, who was recently hired, was operating on a trial-run route taking passengers to the Centurion station.

“Fortunately no passengers were injured in the attack,” said Machaka. She said the route was one of those being reinstated, “following February’s illegal strikes by bus drivers.

“That strike was one of four illegal strikes over the last six months. This is not the first incident. Over the past six weeks, Gautrain’s buses have been targeted by criminals bent on disrupting the bus services.

“Depots have been blockaded, replacement drivers intimidated, buses stoned, burnt and shot at,” she said.

Machaka said they were extremely concerned about the escalation of violence and had put security guards on all the buses.

“We believe that this is linked to the strike. We have followed the law and have obtained court interdicts and done everything possible to try and stop this. We are seeking assistance from the Gauteng provincial government and are seeking strong and decisive intervention from the state,” Machaka said.

Asked whether CCTV cameras would be installed on the buses, Machaka said she was not sure.

“The buses are tracked via satellite and we are doing everything in our power to protect our assets, staff and passengers with guards put on the bus since the start of the strike,” she said.

Unitas hospital spokeswoman Isobel Fowler said Kgatle was in a stable condition.

Police spokesman Captain Thomas Mufamadi said the shooting happened moments after the driver had stopped for a woman.

“As he stopped a man ran to the bus and opened fire, shooting him twice before he drove in a car which was driven by another man,” he said.

Mufamadi said a case of attempted murder and malicious damage to property was being investigated.

Anyone with information can telephone Constable Leon Meyer at 076 373 2733. - Pretoria News

• Gautrain bus driver shot