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Taxi drivers live in fear of abduction

Stop kidnapping. - Stock image
Stop kidnapping. - Stock image

Fear of being abducted and forced into an initiation school against his will has driven a Limpopo taxi driver to go into hiding until the initiation season ends.

This follows the abduction of three other taxi operators who were forced into initiation schools in Limpopo in the past few weeks.

Two of them were released after intervention by police and community members. The men, aged 30 and 35, were abducted and forced into a mountain school at GaMoretsele village near Jane Furse last week.

Now taxi driver Jeremiah Mokwana, of Sekhukhune, has told Sowetan he would seek refuge in the Zion Christian Church's headquarters at Moria until the season ended. He said it was against his religion to go for initiation.

Initiation schools are expected to close on July 15.

Mokwana said he had received phone calls from people in his village of Malegala telling him that they were going to take him forcefully into a mountain school.

But Sekhukhune Taxi Association spokesman Magomarele Mokgoatjana refuted allegations that taxi drivers were being abducted against their will.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said police had opened a case of kidnapping and no arrests had been made.

frankm@sowetan.co.za

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