Africa-Press – Eswatini. Tempers flared at the Manzini Bus Rank yesterday morning, when public transport workers operating in Ngwane Park, parked their vehicles in protest.
They were aggrieved over the alleged operation of a kombi belonging to Mafutseni Member of Parliament (MP) Sabelo Mtsetfwa, at the bus rank.
This, after the workers reportedly observed Mtsetfwa’s kombi entering the Manzini Bus Rank and operating where Ngwane Park transport is operating.
This seemingly did not sit well with the public transport workers, at a time when the municipality had declared that the rank was full and no new vehicles would be allowed to operate at the rank.
The operators parked their vehicles and were seen shouting at the kombi driver, who had driven the vehicle into the rank. Operations were disturbed for about two hours, until police officers were called and intervened in the matter. According to the public transport workers serving the Ngwane Park route, MP Mtsetfwa’s vehicle was not supposed to operate within the stipulated Ngwane Park ranking zone.
“The municipality succinctly stated that there shall be no new vehicles operating, but it’s unfortunate that we are seeing a vehicle operating illegally here. We won’t continue operating until all rules are applied equally and fairly,” the workers demanded. They stated that they called police officers to report the anomaly, who arrived promptly, as there was a disturbance in the flow of transport travelling to Ngwane Park. When drawn for comment, MP Mtsetfwa confirmed that his vehicle, loaded with commuters from Ngwane Park, was not allowed to enter town through the bus rank, where Ngwane Park vehicles ranked.
Police
“I then got a call from police officers, who informed me that my vehicle had entered the rank. I can confirm that I had communicated with the rank marshals that I have a vehicle that operates, but it does not go into the town route,” the legislator said. He further stated that his employees might have then entered town illegally, without his knowledge. Mtsetfwa was of the view the public transport workers were fighting against the fact that his vehicle was travelling in the Ngwane Park route. Meanwhile, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the matter where there was commotion at the bus rank. “A kombi that did not have a permit was operating around Manzini and we arrested the driver,” Vilakati disclosed.
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