WC police appealing some court orders relating to Intercape bus attacks

CAPE TOWN - Western Cape police have approached the courts to have some of the orders compelling Police Minister Bheki Cele to take action against bus attacks in the Eastern Cape repealed. 

Provincial commissioner Tembisile Patekile said that the SAPS was appealing some of the orders issued by the Makhanda High Court last year.

The commissioner was speaking at a community imbizo at NY2 in Gugulethu on Sunday.

The Intercape bus company opened over 165 cases of attacks and harassment of its buses with the Eastern Cape police between 2020 and 2023.

It then sued Cele for lack of investigation and protection of its buses despite the court ordering the minister to intervene in the attacks.

The bus company told Eyewitness News this week that the harassment of its buses was continuing in the Eastern Cape.

This despite Cele and the provincial department of transport being ordered by the court to implement safety measures to prevent attacks on Intercape buses.

Cele said the police were responsible for the enforcement of safety measures. 

"Minister is very unlucky, because every other thing whether, he was there or not there, he's the first respondent in all that."

He, however, added that the Western Cape police, in partnership with the Eastern Cape police, were working together to address the grievances of the bus company.