The bus operator Intercape has been targeted by criminal groups in South Africa for several years now, all while receiving little to no support from law enforcement.
The long-haul transport service has made multiple appeals for action from the government after recording hundreds of incidents where its drivers were attacked and threatened.
The majority of these incidents took place in the Western and Eastern Cape.
However, these legal efforts have failed to make any meaningful difference, as no decisive action has been taken by the police over the the last three years, according to the company.
Intercape appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Police on Wednesday (14 May), where it told lawmakers that several investigations have been seemingly stonewalled by the South African Police Services (SAPS) while its operations continue to be threatened.
This is despite multiple court victories against the SAPS and relevant government departments compelling them to take action.
Intercape alleged that the SAPS has tried to justify its inaction by blaming the bus service for failing to fill in the correct forms.
Furthermore, the operator claimed that it is a victim of “mafia-style” criminal activities, as the attacks on its buses reflect a clear pattern of organized crime.
The company told the committee that it has already completed most of the work and investigations needed for the authorities to take legal action.
This included submitting photographic and video evidence of the perpetrators, as well as the methods used to carry out their attacks.
Even with this evidence, the operator stated that nothing has been done and that communication with the SAPS has been almost non-existant.
“We have won eight court cases so far, and at the moment, the minister of police, the minister of transport, the Hawks, the investigative directorate – everyone we have cited is in contempt of court,” said Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira.
Ferreira stated that the courts ordered the police to protect South African travellers and to keep Intercape informed of the immediate and long-term plans to prevent attacks.
The company also shared harrowing statistics of the toll these attacks have had on its members.
Intercape has recorded one death, 32 instances of attempted murder by shooting, 46 incidents involving rock throwing, and 103 cases of threats and intimidation against its drivers.
Another 15 cases were directed at Intercape’s offices.
Even with these numerous incidents, the group is not aware of a single case that resulted in an arrest.
“We are faced with an impossible situation, where the government is in contempt of court as far as the safety and security of the travelling public of South Africa is concerned.”
Intercape stated that it intends to launch a new legal proceeding against the state for contempt of court.
SAPS responds
The SAPS responded with its own presentation to the Portfolio Committee, claiming that that some progress has been made with the arrest of 11 individuals linked to the attacks.
Intercape said that this was the first time it had been made aware of any arrests.
The bus service has been a target for violence for several years now, with frequent stone-throwing incidents dating back as far as 2016.
However, these incidents have rapidly escalated, leading to injuries for both its drivers and passengers.
Sadly, one driver was killed in an attack in 2022, which prompted the National Council of Provinces to call on the government to establish a task team to address the issue.
That same year, Intercape was granted a court order directing the police to develop a comprehensive plan to provide for the safety and security of long-haul operators.
However, the company later filed and secured a contempt order against the national and Eastern Cape provincial SAPS commissioners in 2023 for failing to adhere to this requirement.
A second order, also granted in 2023, directed the authorities to maintain a visible police presence in hotspot areas, and to provide police escorts along certain routes when requested to do so by Intercape.
Another instruction was then issued in 2024, which required all provinces to coordinate with bus operators to prevent criminal activities.
The SAPS response was that the order to provide police escorts has strained its resources, limiting its ability to attend to other priorities.
“The SAPS is committed to reaching an amicable solution to the ongoing litigation, taking into account its limited resources, its constitutional mandate and the burden placed on the SAPS to provide escorts and visible policing within the determined hotspot areas,” it said.
In response, Intercape noted that it has spent roughly R3 million on private security services even though the SAPS are meant to provide escorts.
Additionally, the operator is on the hook for the passenger medical fees and vehicle repair bills incurred by these attacks, all while losing out on an estimated R30 million in revenue from disruptions to its services.
Intercape added that it has had to suspend routes to certain towns due to the risk factor.
Another point of contention is that the SAPS list of cases does not match Intercape’s.
While Intercape has over 200 incidents recorded, the SAPS only has 76 on file.
Of the 76 on record, 8 were withdrawn and 33 were finalised as undetected.
Another 22 cases are pending investigation, with 3 others in court processes.
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