Gunmen open fire on Soccer World Cup shuttle buses

Nine people were injured in two separate attacks when gunmen opened fire on Rea Vaya buses in Soweto -- wounding four in Orlando West -- and left one of them in a critical condition. In the second incident a driver and four passengers were injured when a bus was shot at in Moletsane.

The network of shuttle buses link Soweto with central Johannesburg, making stops near the downtown Ellis Park, and Soccer City, venue for the June 11 opening of the Soccer World Cup and the July 11 final.

The Rea Vaya bus rapid transit (BRT) system which aimed to break the monopoly of black minibus taxis on public roads, was introduced in August last year.

At each step, SA's famously aggressive taxi drivers have protested violently against the programme, burning tyres to obstruct roads and firing shots at BRT buses.

Two people were injured by gunshots during last year's protests. A Rea Vaya driver, whose house was petrol-bombed last month, claimed he was targeted because he left his job as a taxi driver to work for BRT. - Sapa