South Africa ‘Operation Miniskirt’ targets taxi rank

REUTERS

A woman wearing a miniskirt takes part in a protest against the idea that provocatively dressed women are to blame for sexual assaultsrape.

The message is clear: Gauteng will not tolerate sexual harassment.

On Thursday morning it felt as if a big section of the province’s police force was concentrated at the Noord Street taxi rank in Johannesburg CBD, as what some officers called “Operation Miniskirt” began.

The presence of the Joburg metro police, Gauteng provincial traffic police, and the Tactical Response Team at the province’s biggest taxi rank followed the harassment by men near the rank of two teenage girls on December 30, reportedly because of their revealing clothing. One girl aged 18 wore a miniskirt while the other, 19, had on tight-fitting clothes.

The incident is being investigated by the police.

The Tactical Response Team conducted random body searches on men. Metro police officers checked that taxis were roadworthy. Gauteng traffic police checked driving licences and taxi registrations. And the SAPS studied the CCTV footage from the incident to try to find the culprits.

“Since the incident, the premier has asked us to intensify our operations to clean up the taxi rank,” said Gauteng traffic police spokeswoman Busaphi Nxumalo.

“The taxi association must give us all the details. We are sure they know the culprits. We will continue with this operation until the perpetrators are arrested.”

Taxi driver Alais Mkwanyana, 47, had his keys in his hand and a mob of taxi drivers around him as he confronted the police.

“The people you are looking for are the ones that sell fruit and sweets here; they harassed the women. We see them but we can’t take the law into our own hands,” said Mkwanyana.

“Now the police have taken our registration disks for no reason.”

Meanwhile, the two girls who were harassed have opened a case with the police.

Warrant Officer Xoli Mbele said the girls had opened a case of sexual assault, indecent assault and crimen injuria at the Johannesburg central police station on Wednesday night.