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ROUGH RIDE: Pontso Pakkies, left, and her sister, Lebo Sibisi. Photo: The Star

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The security guards who detained two women for chewing gum at a Gautrain station acted professionally, the Bombela Concession company said on Friday.

“The company considers that its security guards acted professionally and respectfully throughout, despite being subjected to uncalled-for verbal abuse,” it said in a statement.

Bombela investigated the matter after allegations that two women were detained for four hours and fined R700 for chewing gum at the Rosebank Gautrain station last Friday.

Sisters Pontso Pakkies and Lebo Sibisi told The Star newspaper they were unaware that chewing gum was not allowed on the train.

While waiting for the train, Pakkies said a guard approached them and told them to get rid of their gum.

After talking to a guard, they wrapped it in paper and placed it in their bags “as there was no dustbin nearby”.

As the train approached, one of the security managers told them they could not board.

“He said we had refused to throw the gum away and he was going to fine us,” Pakkies said.

Pakkies and Sibisi said they were detained in a room that had no cellphone reception.

They were refused permission to go to the toilet, or call their families.

They were released only after paying a R700 fine.

Bombela said it viewed CCTV footage and took statements from those involved.

According to its version of events one of the security guards noticed a woman chewing gum on the platform and asked her to throw it into a nearby bin.

“The lady refused to co-operate and began arguing with the guard. He called a second guard to confirm the rule and repeat the request.”  Both women then became increasingly angry and refused to comply. An assistant station manager was called to explain the rules, but the women refused and became argumentative.

The women were asked to follow the manager to the station’s security office where the rules were explained again. The company denied that its staff threatened the women, or became violent.

In the office, the women remained loud and would not co-operate, Bombela said. They were asked to produce identification and they refused.

When the women reportedly continued to argue, the police were called.

After a long argument, the company said, the pair finally agreed to identify themselves and received “an appropriate fine”.

One of the ladies called her husband, who came and was briefed by security staff before leaving with the two women.

“The ladies would have been free to continue their journey at any time had they only co-operated.” 

Bombela denied that the two were detained for four hours, saying the entire incident lasted two hours.

Comments

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Wed May 22 00:23:00 SAST 2013 ::

Jul 20, 2012

Mellow

For chappies? They paid R700 for chappies? LOL
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Jul 20, 2012

Tabza325is

This is bullsh1t, how do you detain a person for chewing gum, why not ask them to leave the station if they refuse to co-oparate, Bombela is talking MSUZO, you can't detain a person for such a small act, just ask them leave the station, no crime was commited, no security guard was harmed, if verbaly abused then the security deserve it, how do you detain a person for chewing gum and expect them to be nice to you...
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Jul 20, 2012

Mnumzane

These two ladies are attention seekers , why go to the media after this. Now we are told they were kept in an office while they claim to have been detained. Do they know what is detention?
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Jul 20, 2012

Stumaeza

But we all know that chappies is not allowed on Gautrain - maybe the women were taking chances but the R700 fine is too harsh
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Jul 20, 2012

BRA-MAFUTHA

Sharks!!!!! it this a made up story or what this is freaken unbelievable charged for eating a chappies.
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Jul 20, 2012

Louloubaby

the rules are written clearly, no one is forced to board the gautrain, they must travel by taxi and chew chappies to their hearts'content, stupid people wanting attention where it is not due, i walked into the sandton station chewing gum and the security guard called me politely and POLITELY told me not to take out my gum and throw it away, which i did and i continued with my journey labo mama ababi bazenza ama starring amanga, the guards should have sjamboked them
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Jul 20, 2012

tumzangwana

“The ladies would have been free to continue their journey at any time had they only co-operated.”
;;;;;;;;;

i agree, they think ke boclever ba yazi konke. some people they just love creating issues out of tissues. you should have just arrested them to teach them a lesson.

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Jul 20, 2012

Louloubaby

*POLITELY told me to take out my gum and throw it away*
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Jul 20, 2012

Papage

Stale news Sowetan, this happened on wednesday and you only get it today?

Rules are rules, it is written everywhere in the Gautrain platforms that food and everything cheawing is not allowed. Black people just like things done their way, remember "you can take a person out of the township, but will never take a township out of her" that is how we behave, like to cause the scene and they got what they deserve. use your own train/car next time.
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Jul 20, 2012

MommaC

Anyone who has ever got someone else's yucky gum all over their wool coat will applaud the Gautrain rules.

What is this need to walk around like mombies chewing the cud?
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