Eerie calm in Korsten after week’s violent clashes

An eerie calm hangs in the air in Durban Road, Gqeberha. 

More than half the shops near the Korsten taxi rank are shut and a lone hawker is selling her vegetables. 

It is a Friday afternoon, and an area of trade usually bustling with shoppers and commuters is unusually still.

Just two days earlier, a frightful scene unfolded in Korsten that saw eight taxis set alight, a group of unknown men armed with firearms walking the streets and three Gqeberha township shops go up in flames.

A seemingly innocent fender-bender quickly spiralled out of control on Wednesday, from a physical altercation to a businessman’s son allegedly being doused in petrol.

It was the son of the co-owner of the Thanda Bantu store who was allegedly doused.

Mohammed Ahmed had been driving his Audi in Durban Road when he was allegedly cornered by angry taxi operators. 

Moments earlier, there had been an accident between a taxi and an unknown foreign national.

It is not clear why the mob turned on Ahmed.

Regardless, he appeared to have borne the brunt, with his vehicle set alight.

He managed to flee after petrol was allegedly thrown on him as well.

So frightful was the scene that unfolded in Durban Road on Wednesday that national police minister Bheki Cele flew to the city on Thursday in an attempt to defuse the tensions. 

Cele vowed that police officers from around the country would flood Korsten if the sporadic and vigilante acts of violence did not come to an end.

Though the situation remained volatile in Korsten on Thursday, with police firing stun grenades to avoid a standoff with an angry mob angered that officers had raided Thanda Bantu, Cele said he was encouraged by that the business owners and representatives of the taxi associations were wanting to discuss an amicable way forward.

Cele said police would hunt down those who broke the law by brandishing and discharging their firearms in public, and those who had committed arson.

He said several videos depicting people brandishing firearms would be used as evidence.

“The police will find those guns that were fired and send them for ballistic testing.”

Only three licensed firearms were, however, confiscated during the raid after allegations of shots being fired during Wednesday’s mayhem. 

No arrests were made.

By Friday afternoon, it was clear the relationship between the taxi drivers and business owners was still tense.

A woman who identifies herself as “Auntie Magda” is eating an ice cream. She is staying away from the taxi rank in case of a flare-up.

“It is a quiet day. There aren’t many customers.

“Everyone still has jitters and is hoping things go back to normal.

“It is usually packed here in front of the store with hawkers.

“There is usually no space to even load the furniture. Today, as you can see, there’s only one stand.

“It is the 15th and usually we are very busy.

“All we are getting is calls from people asking if it is safe.”

Luvuyo Gqaba, a taxi driver waiting for his turn to load passengers, believes the calm in the street is superficial.

Before agreeing to an interview he questions the driver of a black car that has just driven into taxi rank area. 

“We can't be at ease around black cars with tinted windows in times like this,” he says. 

“We are waiting as they [store owners] are waiting to see what will happen.

“The only thing I want to know is how they are going to pay for people’s taxis.

“Those vehicles that were destroyed are people’s livelihoods,” Gqaba says.

He said the police minister’s visit had done little to defuse the tensions.

A team of The Herald reporters happen upon a conversation between Mohammed’s father, Samat, and a taxi rank supervisor who identifies himself as ‘Big Stuff’ Vela. 

“We need to all come together and talk about what happened.

“At the end of the day, this calm is not going to last for long until this has been settled.

“We were the innocent parties.

“The hawkers will tell you the same thing,” Samat says.

“Why come and attack us?

“A whole mob of taxi drivers came and burnt the car, and I had to pull my son out before he was killed.

“Do you think I must sit back and leave it?” Samat asks Vele.

Speaking to the reporter, Samat says: “This thing will never come to a settlement because the one will lie for the other and the other one will lie for the other one, because why?

“Because Bheki Cele gave them the right to do it.

“He gave them the right to do whatever they want to do and I promise, I promise on God above, we as Muslims will never allow it.

“I am the one trying to keep everyone calm.

“I have 800 men who are angry about what happened here.”

Vele simply nods his head, agreeing there is a need for a meeting between the parties.

Service delivery in Korsten is almost non-existent.

Just months earlier, organised businesses in the area appealed for intervention from the municipality, begging it to enforce its bylaws.

They complained to The Herald that the situation was chaotic, with no traffic enforcement and sanitation that is not up to scratch.

Business owner Mohammed Rashid believes that inadequate service delivery was a major contributing factor to the mayhem.

“There is no law enforcement, which means people disregard the rules of the road every day. 

“The roads are appalling.

“There are potholes everywhere that are getting bigger the longer it takes to fix them.” 

Rashid claims the accident that sparked the chaos was as a result of a taxi driver swerving to avoid hitting a pothole.

He pointed out that a traffic light at the Mercantile Hospital intersection had not been operational for months, adding to the traffic woes.

“This business hub contributes so much to the community and the local economy but we are being neglected,” Rashid says.   

His sentiments are shared by Ashraf Limbada of the Korsten Traders Forum, who said the situation exploded partly because the Korsten trade zone had gone unpoliced for years.

Limbada said taxi drivers were left to behave recklessly. 

“They park wherever they want to, drive recklessly and overload their vehicles.

“There is no law and order among them.”

— Additional reporting by Lynn Williams

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