RACISM * South Africa - Indian bus owners claim racist bid to shut them down
Durban Indian bus owners say they are being forced out of business by rivals. Vehicles have been torched and operators threatened
Durban,South Africa -The Times (Johannesburg,Gauteng,South Africa), by Narissa Subramoney -Sep 13, 2008: -- ... Last week, a transport operator had two buses torched in Newlands West, while another owner reported that his bus was set alight in Cato Manor two weeks ago... Speaking to the Sunday Times Extra this week, a group of 11 operators from Tongaat, Phoenix and Newlands West said they had been victimised and intimidated to close their business... Chan Rumnundan, owner of Mona Lisa Bus Services in Tongaat, said he lost five buses in June. He said he had received anonymous phone threats to stop operating his remaining four buses. “The threats were very specific. They told me they don’t want Indian buses in black areas, and if I didn’t stop, they would burn the rest of the buses”... Another bus owner, Satish Dipchund of Siyabonga Coachlines, lost his entire fleet of seven buses last year. Before the buses were set alight, Dipchund said taxis blocked the road and started removing passengers and forcing them into the taxis... He said his decision to stop operating sparked a public outcry from the community, who called for the return of the buses. Soon afterwards, he lost his entire fleet... Bus owners claim the threats are racially motivated... Bala Reddy of Flaming Rock Express said his buses were damaged and stoned. As a result, he withdrew three buses from the route...
Labels: discriminations
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