- Nine hijacked, none recovered
In a space of two months, nine taxi operators in Francistown have been hijacked at knife or gun point and have vanished without a trace. This latest development has led operators in the second city to tool down and park their vehicles, to protest against police’s nonchalant attitude to their plight.
Following the protest action which lasted till Thursday mid-morning, Francistown Central Police station commander Assistant Superintendent Itumelang Mochela confirmed receiving four reports of taxis being hijacked.
“These are the reports that l can recall, and which were hi jacked in a similar manner. None of them have been recovered either. Other hijacking may have been at other police stations.”
“We met with representatives from the taxi association and their concern is that their vehicles are being hijacked and the vehicles are not being recovered. They were also worried about their security and safety as public transport operators. They highlighted that as the police we are not doing enough to assist them,” said Mochela.
Mochela says the uproar by the blue plate taxi operators was because the police was not updating the taxi drivers on the investigations.
He said the protest by the taxi operators followed an incident in which another taxi was hijacked on Wednesday night. That as it may, Mochela highlighted that they informed the operators that the police are doing all to trace and recover the vehicles.
“We are still investigating the hijackings and all is on course. But the taxi men and women think otherwise because we are not giving them any updates, which gave them an impression that were are relaxed and unperturbed,” he explained.
Meanwhile, a taxi driver (name withheld) who spoke to Ngami Times alleges that “as taxi drivers we believe our vehicles are being smuggled to neighbouring Zimbabwe or being stripped and their parts sold, because the taxi are stolen and there is no trace of where they are taken to,” explained the taxi operator.
“Of the nine vehicles which have been stolen all of them are Honda fit new shape, it seems they are on demand.”
Another taxi operator Mogomotsi Solomon believes the perpetrators a three in number.
“It is either three men or two men and a woman. Most of the vehicles are booked on special from Donga or Selepa into town to Ntshe or Monarch. The syndicate must have picked that there are no cameras in those areas. “
Meanwhile Taxi operators’ association representative Irene Monamati said the hijackings have brought fear among taxi operators.
“We do not know when next the criminals will pounce. We are worried for our safety and our clients. So how can we work when the streets have become so unsafe,” decried Monamati.
“Taxis operate from 4 o’clock in the morning until after midnight. Clients need our services. Francistown is a city where people are always on the move. It’s a transit city to other regions.”
