POLICE yesterday swooped on Johannesburg's notorious Noord Street taxi rank hoping to catch a group of men who last week attacked two young women for wearing miniskirts.
The Johannesburg municipal police department and provincial traffic police started their operation at about 6am. The girls laid charges at the Johannesburg central police station, triggering a huge manhunt for the attackers.
Johannesburg central police spokesman Xoli Mbele said the investigating officer was due to receive the case docket yesterday morning, after which investigations would begin in earnest.
The department of community safety said it would devise a solid plan with the City of Johannesburg to rid Noord Street taxi rank and it's surroundings of thugs.
Police confirmed their operation came after the two teenagers were sexually harassed and humiliated in broad daylight at the rank last Friday.
Similar treatment was meted out to 28-year-old Nwabisa Ngcukana four years ago at the same rank. No suspects were arrested in the Ngcukana attack.
Johannesburg central police were not able to say who they were looking for with regard to Friday's incident, despite having close circuit television footage clearly showing a group of men harassing the teenagers.
"We have many big taxi ranks in Gauteng. It cannot be that every time there is such shocking incidents, it is at this rank. We have to come to a point where discipline must be self-enforced. We cannot have normality here only when there is a heavy police presence," community safety spokesman Dumisani Zulu said.
"It is funny that as soon as we arrived, the taxi drivers dispersed and no one would take responsibility for any vehicle. We will devise a plan with the City of Johannesburg for effective monitoring of the cameras to deal with public safety issues.
"The people who come here are not only here to get a taxi. People come to the city for shopping, entertainment while others reside here."
During the operation, police stopped three security officials who said they were escorting a truck transporting cigarettes.
Police discovered that one of the three pistols found on the security guards was reported stolen while another guard was using an expired security licence.
By 9am police said at least 20 licences were cancelled because the vehicles, mainly taxis, were not roadworthy.
Miniskirt attack sparks cops blitz
POLICE yesterday swooped on Johannesburg's notorious Noord Street taxi rank hoping to catch a group of men who last week attacked two young women for wearing miniskirts.
The Johannesburg municipal police department and provincial traffic police started their operation at about 6am. The girls laid charges at the Johannesburg central police station, triggering a huge manhunt for the attackers.
Johannesburg central police spokesman Xoli Mbele said the investigating officer was due to receive the case docket yesterday morning, after which investigations would begin in earnest.
The department of community safety said it would devise a solid plan with the City of Johannesburg to rid Noord Street taxi rank and it's surroundings of thugs.
Police confirmed their operation came after the two teenagers were sexually harassed and humiliated in broad daylight at the rank last Friday.
Similar treatment was meted out to 28-year-old Nwabisa Ngcukana four years ago at the same rank. No suspects were arrested in the Ngcukana attack.
Johannesburg central police were not able to say who they were looking for with regard to Friday's incident, despite having close circuit television footage clearly showing a group of men harassing the teenagers.
"We have many big taxi ranks in Gauteng. It cannot be that every time there is such shocking incidents, it is at this rank. We have to come to a point where discipline must be self-enforced. We cannot have normality here only when there is a heavy police presence," community safety spokesman Dumisani Zulu said.
"It is funny that as soon as we arrived, the taxi drivers dispersed and no one would take responsibility for any vehicle. We will devise a plan with the City of Johannesburg for effective monitoring of the cameras to deal with public safety issues.
"The people who come here are not only here to get a taxi. People come to the city for shopping, entertainment while others reside here."
During the operation, police stopped three security officials who said they were escorting a truck transporting cigarettes.
Police discovered that one of the three pistols found on the security guards was reported stolen while another guard was using an expired security licence.
By 9am police said at least 20 licences were cancelled because the vehicles, mainly taxis, were not roadworthy.
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