Make the police act: bus company CEO's shocking letter to Ramaphosa
No-one in your government has been held accountable for this continued failure. No-one has been disciplined for allowing criminals to terrorise innocent people while millions in public funds were wasted fighting against justice.
Our plight is shared by millions of South Africans. Criminals are winning everywhere. There are mafias operating in broad daylight, in the construction industry and elsewhere. Our fight has not only been for Intercape and its passengers, but for every person and business that has the right to be protected from criminals. As an aside, your government tried to convince the court that we were acting out of self-interest. The judge had to put them straight and found that this 'unfounded assertion' was merely 'used by the SAPS as an excuse for not performing their constitutional duties'. The court's exasperation was clear when it found that '[i]t boggles the mind why it is so difficult for a law enforcement agency to appreciate that when armed assailants take potshots at moving buses, deleterious consequences inevitably ensue'.
We have faced apathy and retaliation, while the criminals, the ministers, the MECs, and the SAPS generals continue to fail in their constitutional duties with impunity. The courts have already conducted the inquiries. The evidence is before you. Mr President, please hold your ministers, commissioners, and MECs accountable. Fire them. Recover the wasted money from them personally and use it to protect the citizens of this country.
These legal victories achieved by Intercape thus far are a testament to our determination to safeguard our passengers and to hold the South African government and police accountable for its blatant disregard for human lives and the rule of law. However, these victories offer little comfort when the violence continues, and justice remains elusive.
Mr President, I urge you to uphold your oath of office. Restore order. Enforce the law. Take decisive action against those who have failed the people of South Africa. Surely, your vision of 'all are equal before the law' must also apply to those within your government.
Intercape is but one example of the cost of inaction. The true burden of your leadership failures is borne by every citizen in this country.
Sincerely,
Johann Ferreira
CEO, Intercape Ferreira Mainliner
TimesLIVE
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Eyewitness News
an hour ago
- Eyewitness News
More than 1k suspects nabbed in Gauteng during Operation Shanela over the weekend
Thandoluhle Ngcobo 23 June 2025 | 6:39 Operation Shanela South African Police Service (SAPS) Gauteng Picture: @SAPoliceService/X JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng police have arrested more than 1,000 suspects and recovered 21 rifles during Operation Shanela crackdowns conducted over the weekend. Of those arrested, 78 were charged with drunk driving, while 786 were arrested by detectives tracing wanted suspects. READ: Over 200,000 Operation Shanela suspects have previous convictions The remaining arrests were made at roadblocks and during raids on illegal liquor outlets. Police spokesperson, Mavela Masondo, said the arrested suspects were expected to appear at various magistrates' courts around the province on Monday. "Provincial commissioner of the police in Gauteng, Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni led yet another successful integrated Operation Shanela in the West Rand. Parallel operations were conducted in Tshwane, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Sedibeng districts, were 167 suspects were arrested."
Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
SAPS faces backlash over omission of gender-based violence data in latest crime statistics
The South African Police Service is under fire for omitting key data on violence against women and children in its latest crime statistics, with critics calling it a betrayal of South Africa's promise to fight gender-based violence. The South African Police Service (SAPS) is facing criticism from Parliament, opposition parties, and civil society after failing to include vital data on crimes against women and children in its most recent national crime statistics report. The missing data has sparked concerns about transparency, accountability, and the state's commitment to addressing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), one of the most pressing crises facing the country. The controversy centres on the SAPS' fourth quarter crime statistics for the 2024/25 financial year. During a Portfolio Committee on Police meeting held on Wednesday, 11 June 2025, Members of Parliament raised questions about the absence of disaggregated figures on murder, attempted murder, and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) targeting women and children. In response to the inquiry, SAPS officials claimed that while the summary report presented to Parliament on 28 May 2025 did not contain the relevant information, the full version — released to the public on the SAPS' website on 23 May — did include the disaggregated data. However, this claim was found to be false. 'This assertion is factually incorrect. A review of both the summarised and full versions of the fourth quarter crime statistics confirms that disaggregated data on crimes against women and children is not included. 'The committee has always been of the view that the credibility of statistics is dependent on the tabling of all crime statistics in full, which will drive the police response, especially in the context of the SAPS adopting a data-driven approach to policing,' read the statement from the Portfolio Committee on Police. Accountability demanded from SAPS leadership The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Ian Cameron, expressed 'serious concern' over the matter, stating that the credibility of crime statistics depended on their completeness and accuracy — especially given the SAPS' stated commitment to a data-driven approach to policing. 'The absence of credible and complete data significantly undermines efforts to assess the scope of violence against women and children and to develop effective, targeted interventions,' said Cameron. To address the issue, he has written to the minister of police and the national commissioner, requesting a written report by Friday, 20 June 2025. The report must explain both the omission of data and the inaccurate statements made to Parliament during the 11 June meeting. Cameron warned that failure to provide a satisfactory response could lead to formal parliamentary action. 'Should a satisfactory response not be received, the committee will consider invoking its powers under the National Assembly Rules and the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act, 2004, to summon the relevant officials to appear before the committee and give evidence under oath or affirmation,' he said. DA calls omission a 'deliberate misrepresentation' The Democratic Alliance (DA) has labelled the SAPS' conduct a 'deliberate misrepresentation' of facts. The party has announced its intention to formally ask that the minister of police urgently appear before the committee to account for what it describes as a serious breach of trust. 'This is not a technical error. It is a deliberate misrepresentation that demands accountability. Parliament cannot exercise effective oversight if it is being fed misinformation,' said Lisa Schickerling, the DA deputy spokesperson on police, in a statement. According to the DA, this is not the first instance of SAPS leadership providing incorrect information regarding the crime statistics. During the 11 June committee meeting, Deputy National Commissioner Tabello Mosikili stated that the disaggregated data was included in the crime report, an assertion later echoed by National Commissioner Fannie Masemola in a separate meeting on 20 June. Masemola reportedly contradicted himself during the session, before repeating the same falsehood. 'The fact remains: SAPS failed to report any data specifically relating to women and children in its latest crime stats,' said Schickerling. Schickerling also pointed to the inconsistency between the SAPS' public statements about GBV being a national priority and its failure to transparently report key statistics. 'If the SAPS claims that GBV is a national priority, then its failure to report key data transparently tells a different story. You cannot fight what you refuse to measure. Women and children in South Africa deserve more than platitudes. They deserve facts, integrity, and a police service that takes their safety seriously,' she said. Public trust 'undermined by omission' The outcry has not been limited to political circles. Ilitha Labantu, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting survivors of violence and promoting justice for women and children, also issued a strong statement condemning the data omission. 'The absence of disaggregated data on murder, attempted murder, and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm significantly weakens the national response to gender-based violence and femicide,' the organisation said. 'This is not a matter of oversight. It reflects a deeper institutional failure to respond with transparency and urgency to one of the most pressing human rights issues facing our country.' Ilitha Labantu emphasised the human cost of the omission. Between January and March 2025 alone, 966 women and 314 children were murdered in South Africa, figures the organisation says must not be hidden or forgotten. 'These are not just numbers. They are lives lost in a context of systemic violence, and to exclude this information from official reporting is to erase the experiences of victims and survivors,' the statement read. The organisation called for an immediate correction of the crime statistics report and urged Parliament to ensure that future reports include a full, transparent, and accurate breakdown of crimes against women and children. 'Reliable, disaggregated data is fundamental to crafting evidence-based interventions, allocating resources, and holding institutions accountable. Without it, public trust erodes, policy responses become symbolic, and the violence continues unchecked,' said the organisation. 'The fight for justice begins with truth,' Ilitha Labantu concluded. 'We cannot address this crisis in silence or in darkness. The rights, dignity, and safety of women and children must not be erased in the process.' In response to questions from Daily Maverick, national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the SAPS routinely published quarterly and annual crime statistics, including figures related to crimes against women and children, specifically murder, attempted murder, and assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm (GBH). These figures are based on data from case dockets and the Crime Administration System (CAS), and rely on the accurate recording of victims' age and sex, as well as correct linkage between victims and charges. Before the release of the fourth quarter and preliminary annual statistics for the 2024/25 financial year, the SAPS' Component Crime Registrar conducted a review of the data. According to Mathe, the review uncovered significant anomalies in the subset relating to women and children. 'Discrepancies were identified between the sum of quarterly data and the annual totals, which could not be reconciled. Duplication of crime counts was observed, resulting in inflated figures where the subset (women and children) exceeded the total population of victims. Data integrity issues were traced to inconsistencies in victim-linking and demographic recording,' she said. As a result of these issues, the SAPS leadership made the decision to halt the release of the disaggregated statistics and remove previously published figures from the SAPS website 'The national commissioner has directed the relevant stakeholders to urgently investigate and resolve the identified data challenges. This process is currently under way, and the statistics on crimes against women and children will be reinstated once the data has been corrected and validated. The revised statistics will be accompanied by a detailed explanation of the nature and implications of the revisions,' she said. DM
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Justice demanded for runners injured by Cape Town driver in DUI incident
A Cape Town man is facing charges of driving under the influence and negligent driving after injuring two runners in Bantry Bay. Image: File A Cape Town man continues to make court appearances on charges relating to driving under the influence of alcohol and negligent driving, after two runners were rammed in Bantry Bay. The man made his latest appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Friday, where the matter was postponed for further investigation. The incident, which was filmed on March 30, was caught on CCTV footage along Victoria Road, Bantry Bay, and shows how the runners were hit, one of whom was flung into the air and landed in nearby bush and rock terrain along the coast. Police initially confirmed the man's arrest and that he was detained and charged. The DA's National Council of Provinces member on security and justice, Nicholas Gotsell, said he has since written to Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile regarding cases of reckless and negligent driving. 'The DA notes the postponement in this case to August 12 for further investigation,' he said. 'We will continue to play an active oversight role and ensure that the police fulfil their constitutional duty to protect citizens – and that they do not neglect their responsibilities when others' lives are deliberately put at risk. 'This tragedy follows shortly after a Nigerian rapper crashed through a wall in Sea Point more than three months ago with no concrete actions taken by SAPS against the driver. 'Reckless drivers are increasingly using our roads as a racetrack. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'The DA has repeatedly written to the Western Cape Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, about complaints of reckless driving and the failure to act against suspects – but no concrete steps have been taken. This lack of response raises serious questions about SAPS's bona fides and their commitment to public safety." The Cape Argus approached the provincial SAPS office for Patekile's response and await feedback. Earlier, Pedal Power Association CEO, Neil Robinson, said they called for justice to be served and were shocked at the number of lawless and poor driving of persons under the influence on the road. The incident also happened just a month after dental surgeon from the Eastern Cape, Dr Ncumisa Mdlokolo, was tragically killed by a speeding Ferrari while walking with her sister in Buitengracht Street. The driver, David Polet, is accused of being under the influence of drugs and alcohol and was arrested and charged and granted bail of R10 000 by the Cape Town Magistrate's Court. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
