Solid Gold Saturday

Bryanston taxi violence linked to Rea Vaya strike

Tensions that saw a taxi driver being beaten while driving - later being dragged by car and dying as s result - have been linked to the current Rea Vaya strike in Johannesburg. JMPD Spokesperson Supt. Edna Mamonyane gave 702's John Robbie the details:

Yesterday, there was a problem at Hyde Park Corner, where apparantly a taxi driver was shot and after that he was allegedly hit with knob kieries and dragged for a few metres with a car and then he died. At this stage, we're having a lot of issues with taxis - even in the Booysens area in the Soweto motorway - because Rea Vaya is not working right now, they want to take over the Rea Vaya lanes and we can't allow that, asking them 'What if Rea Vaya returns tomorrow morning?' They would then use their lanes again and they (the taxi industry) would say we (as JMPD) gave them permission to use it.

The trouble this morning started during the daily commute near the Bryanston Shopping Centre on William Nicol Drive; a spot where many learners are often dropped off to start their school day. Eyewitness Rory called into 702's John Robbie show at 06h43 am and relayed what he saw:

I'm driving past but noticed all of the taxis have pulled off where they normally drop the kids off to go to Bryanston High School, have now been stopping other taxis and are pulling passengers off the other taxis.

Another eyewitness meanwhile gave gory details of what he saw near the Hyde Park Corner shopping centre on Wednesday, which started off this morning's tensions. Eyewitness Byron also called into 702's John Robbie Show:

Yesterday, I heard screaming and commotion outside and I looked and saw 30 people stranded on the side of the road and I asked them what's happening and they said that the taxi driver was being beaten up while he was driving. They didn't say why, but when I went back inside to study and then my mom called me and said 'they're killing someone outside'. I went to the security guard outside and I see a dead body lying outside. Apparently they're fighting over the William Nicol strip.

Nene on budget speech: 'Sober is the word to describe it'

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene (second from the left) with his team including his Deputy Minister, Mcebisi Jonas to his left: a former Eastern Cape Finance MEC

Agreeing with commentators that described his maiden budget speech as 'balanced and sober', Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene broke his key points down on 702's John Robbie Show:

We have a plan to address our challenges - which is the National Development Plan - we have entrenched this in our Medium Term Strategic Plan Framework via the 9 point plan and we seek to grow the economy.

Mahlobo on #SpyCables: 'Wouldn't use the word 'embarrassing' but we are concerned'

Speaking for the first time since releasing a departmental response to Al Jazeera's 'Spy Cable' leaks, State Security Minister David Mahlobo tells John Robbie that they are more concerned with addressing diplomatic cooperation in the wake of these Intelligence leaks:

This is not the first time that you've seen these leaks - other state security agencies around the world, such as in the US - have also contended with such. We never thought it would happen to us.

This article first appeared on 702 : Bryanston taxi violence and Rea Vaya, Nene budget review, Mahlobo on #SpyCables