Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has been engaging representatives of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) as well as the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA).

The engagements, which started on Friday, are part of government’s ongoing efforts towards strengthening unity and cohesion in the taxi industry in general, as well as to restore peace and stability in the Western Cape.

Taxi related violence has flared up in the province in recent months, resulting in the deaths of several taxi operators, drivers and commuters.

The Minister has condemned the killings and has called for calm.

“We have not come here to recreate the wheel or duplicate the intervention of the Western Cape leadership. As national government, we have come to put politics aside for the sake of commuters and taxi industry players.

“We are here to reinforce the efforts of the province and ensure an intergovernmental, multidisciplinary and targeted approach to safety, which is the only way to restore law and order in the taxi industry,” Mbalula said on Monday.

The Minister is monitoring negotiations between the leaders of CATA and CODETA.

“This is not the first time national government has intervened in the affairs of the taxi industry in the Western Cape. We were here last year and were encouraged by signs that the industry had turned a new leaf.

“A peace pledge was signed, the mediation process was initiated and it was well underway. The leadership of CATA and CODETA even sat side by side at the National Taxi Lekgotla, which took place in August 2020.

“All these were signs that the industry was headed in the right direction. We are disappointed by the recent turn of events,” Mbalula said.

The Minister has cautioned taxi industry players to desist from violence, adding that lawlessness is unacceptable.

“While we remain concerned about the state of the taxi industry and are attentive to the grievances of operators and drivers, we are resolute: acts of criminality in the industry will not be tolerated. Those who choose to resolve industry disagreements through the barrel of a gun will not be shown leniency. They will face the full might of the law,” Mbalula said.

Source: South African Government News Agency