Road construction and upgrade projects in the Eastern Cape worth at least R4bn have come to a standstill because of threats, intimidation and demands for contracts.
Threats of violence and intimidation against bus passengers and staff, allegedly made by taxi operators, escalate in the province by the day. “We fear for our lives every day,” one bus driver told DispatchLIVE (http://www.dispatchlive.co.za). More than 4,000 police officers have since March had to to escort local buses, but this has done little to quell the rising violence against long-haul bus operators.
The rollout of the department of home affairs' new online branch appointment booking system (BABS) has expanded to a number of towns across the province, including East London and Mdantsane. Launched in July, the booking system lets applicants applying for smart ID cards and passports reserve hourly slots through the home affairs website in an effort to fight long queues and corruption.
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Former Uncedo Services Taxi Association president Ntsikelelo Gaehler says he was unlawfully arrested after his vehicle was allegedly shot at near Bloemfontein on Friday. This after Gaehler was stopped in a roadblock by a contingent of police shortly before entering the Bloemfontein area. However, Free State police have a different version of how events unfolded.