KwaZulu Natal: Continuing violence in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has forced the suspension of transport services.
Taxis in KwaZulu-Natal are not operating on Monday and the municipal bus service in Durban has also been suspended.
In a statement, the eThekwini Municipality says this was due to the current civil unrest. The municipality has also warned residents to expect other service delivery interruptions over the next few days.
Roads in and out of the Durban CBD are no-go zones. Overnight looting and rioting has left shops empty and roads strewn with burnt-out vehicles. Other affected areas include the M27 at Waterloo, the Cornubia road off-ramp at the N2, and North Coast Road
The South African National Taxi Alliance (SANTACO) in the province has confirmed that it will not be operating, so has the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
Traffic authorities also say the total closure, of both the south- and northbound carriageways of the N3 Toll Route, also remains in place from Harrismith in the Free State to Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal.
“This strategic transport route to the Port of Durban will most likely remain closed for most of the day as a result of the spate of violent and uncontrollable attacks on infrastructure, heavy motor vehicles, and businesses along the route. Under these conditions, the security and safety of the N3 Toll Route, its operations, and road users cannot be placed at further risk,” they say.
Numerous reports of protests continue to be received from communities along with the majority of the N3, including Heidelberg and Pietermaritzburg.
Traffic and law enforcement authorities are appealing to anyone who does not need to travel, to keep off the roads today.
Situation in Gauteng
Meanwhile, Metrorail in Johannesburg has announced the suspension of its services on Monday morning, also due to the ongoing protests.
Metrorail is also not operating across the province.
In a statement, the company urges commuters to use alternative transport. It has also apologized for the inconvenience caused and says management will continue to monitor the situation.
Metrorail says it will announce soon when it will be safe to run services.
SANTACO says it will however continue operating, cautiously.
City Power had to withdraw some of its teams due to safety concerns following violent protests in Johannesburg on Sunday. The power entity says this led to a number of their technical teams not being able to provide services.
The areas affected include Alexandra, Malvern, Jeppestown, George Goch, as well as other parts of the Johannesburg CBD.
SOURCE: SABC NEWS
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