COMMUTERS STRANDED AS KOMBI OPERATORS PROTEST

LUDZELUDZE – A dispute between the Swaziland Local Kombi Association (SLTA) and kombi operators servicing the Manzini, Matsapha, Mbekelweni and Zombodze routes left commuters stranded.

About 40 Toyota Quantum kombis were parked at Ludzeludze yesterday as their operators resolved to stage a seven hour mini protest in a bid to get their association to act on a number of grievances.

According to sources, the bone of contention that irked the kombi operators to halt their vehicles was a litany of issues that the conductors had allegedly complained about for quite some time.
However, these grievances, according to the protesting public service vehicle operators, were not taken with the seriousness they deserved by the association.

Workplaces

The protest started at around 8am and ended at around 3:30pm. This was after most commuters had been transported to their various workplaces.
When quizzed about the issues that they wanted to be addressed, some of the operators said the main reason behind the protest was the fact that one of their own had been behind bars for about a month after he was found guilty on two charges.

The source said the kombi driver; only identified as ‘Siphekepheke’, who was operating between the Manzini and Zombodze route, was arrested and charged for overloading and fleeing from traffic police when they stopped him. 

In his sentencing, the driver was said to have been given an option of E4 800 fine or he would serve four years and eight months behind bars.
The operators’ argument was that no one seemed to care about the incarceration of their colleague as his employer was also allegedly unwilling to bail him out.

Unfair

It was also mentioned that the driver’s arrest was not welcomed by his colleagues who felt the police were unfair in their operation. This was more so because of late, they used their private cars when staging roadblocks, according to the operators.
The operators regarded the police’s operation as ‘unfair and unprofessional.’

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