Police fail in their role to protect

A myth has been peddled at home and abroad that South Africans are a peaceful people, past masters at solving even the most intractable problems through negotiations.

This myth was given credence by our well-wishers after the negotiated political settlement that saw the peaceful transfer of power from a minority white government to a majority black one in 1994. It’s time it was debunked.

We are a violent society that too easily resorts to violence to get its way. And the violence is aided and abetted by an ingrained culture of impunity. The violent among us literally get away with murder.

An innocent Gauteng Uber taxi driver has died from burn injuries sustained weeks ago after he was apparently set upon by metre taxi drivers who are opposed to the competition posed by the USbased technology-based transport company.

He is just one of many other Uber drivers who have been attacked and their cars burnt by metre taxi drivers fearful of losing customers to the new, relatively cheaper competition. A family is without a father, a son and a breadwinner today because of selfish, mindless thugs.

Instead of adapting to the reality of new competition and finding innovative ways of competing, the metre taxi drivers have decided to resort to violence to drive out their rivals. They will not succeed.

The world has changed and every business has to adapt or die.

Today Uber is the competition, tomorrow it will be something else. It’s just how it is.

We have to ask why, despite the increase in brazen attacks on Uber taxi drivers, the police have sat on their hands.

An Uber driver called 702 talk radio yesterday and told a harrowing tale of being held hostage, beaten and robbed by metre taxi drivers for several hours at the weekend. He reported the matter to the police but they just told him there were many cases similar to his and basically discouraged him from laying a charge.

The violence against the Uber taxi drivers won’t stop while the police behave in this unacceptable manner.

It won’t stop until Police Minister Fikile Mbalula personally gets involved and oversee a crackdown on the lawlessness.