Sibongile Mashaba

Sibongile Mashaba

The bus company Hawk has operated for nine years but its business is being severely hampered, it said, by a taxi association.

Hawk's buses transport people from Giyani Malamulele to Johannesburg.

Last year taxi operators were arrested for preventing people from using the buses.

The owner of the bus company, Lucas Molaba, said: "We have tried talking to the taxi association but the harassment continues."

He said the "war" between them was far from over.

"We have wasted a lot of money trying to find a way out of this but it seems we are just wasting our time," said Hawk's transport manager, Donald Mokoena.

Members of the taxi association have allegedly injured many Hawk employees.

"The police never tell us when the accused are to appear in court. We only hear about the court cases when they have been postponed," said Molaba.

Molaba said he had asked the minister of transport, Jeff Radebe, for help.