Backlash over brazen Putco attack
Mpumalanga police have arrested two suspects linked to the torching of 51 Putco buses at several depots in Mpumalanga on Monday night.
The well-orchestrated attack resulted in the destruction of 16 buses in Moloto, near KwaMhlanga and another 35 in Siyabuswa in the Thabane and Maphotla policing precincts.
News24 reports that police said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday evening following a co-ordinated effort led by Acting Provincial Police Commissioner Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi.
He is confident in the ongoing investigations and hinted at more arrests.
Moneyweb reports that Martlé Keyter, CEO of operations at the Motor Industry Staff Association (Misa), said there was ‘something very sinister’ about the incident and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu should immediately appoint a special task team.
‘For years the people of Kwa-Mahlangu, Moloto and Hammanskraal have been struggling with reliable and adequate bus services. For the past few months the embattled state-owned North West Star bus service (has) been unable to provide a service to commuters in and around Hammanskraal, running in arrears with the payment of salaries to its staff,’ Keyter said.
The finger of suspicion will likely point to taxi associations operating in the area – this is how taxi associations deal with their competitors, said class action attorney Richard Spoor.
‘Not hard to identify the suspects and the factory where 47 petrol bombs were prepared and the teams were sent out to carry out the co-ordinated attacks,’ he said.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
