The Maruleng community has, since 2002 and in recent months, been confronted with sporadic taxi violence, resulting in major injuries, damage to property and vehicles; an abnormality the Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport has had to look at in a much more serious light. The MEC for Roads and Transport in Limpopo, Mr Pitsi Moloto, even considered suspending taxi services in the area and closing the taxi ranks, a decision that was put on hold after an agreement was reached with the affected taxi associations at an urgent meeting on Sunday, 14 October 2012.
Given the nature and seriousness of the implications of the actions contemplated by the MEC, the meeting attended by Their Majesty, Kgoshi Letswalo; Kgoshi Sekororo; Councillors of Kgoshi Mametja; Mayor of Maruleng, Cllr Pule Mafologela; Mayor of Tzaneen, Cllr Dikeledi Mmetle; Councillors and officials of Maruleng; representative of the Executive Mayor, Cllr Magdeline Lewele; Chairperson of the Limpopo Taxi Council, Mr Lentsoane; representative of the Limpopo Operating Licencing Board, Adv Mangena; leadership and operators of the Oaks and the Letaba Taxi Associations, officials from the Limpopo Roads and Transport Department, including the Transport.
Registrar, and officials from the South African Police Services, was convened to resolve the following problems:
1. The fight was over routes, especially Johannesburg and Tzaneen (loading)
2. Non-alignment/overlapping of the operating licences of the two associations; and
3. The exclusion of the Masokisi taxi rank in the operations of the two associations.
At that meeting, it was agreed as follows:
1. That local and long distance operations be separated;
- Long distance operation be Johannesburg, Burgersfort and Ba- Phalaborwa
- Local operation be the villages of Maruleng, Tzaneen, Hoedspruit and Acornhoek
2. That long distance operations should be controlled at the Oaks taxi rank and local operations to Tzaneen should be controlled from Masokisi taxi rank. (Please note that the Masokisi taxi rank is not registered, but the department is ready to assist in making it formal).
3. That members of the two taxi associations are requested to surrender their operating licences to the Registrar so that their routes can be aligned as agreed in the meeting and Masokisi taxi rank be included in their operating licences.
4. On 26 October 2012, the Registrar will de-register the two associations to have one association structured with local and long distance services.
5. That an interim structure, which includes 10 members of each association, be formed and that an equal number of representatives from the two associations, with the support of local traffic officers, will manage the taxi ranks and deal with illegal operators (each taxi operator is required to produce a valid operating licence to operate from each rank).
6. That Metz taxi rank, given its central location, will serve as the pick-up point to serve both the Masokisi and the Oaks taxi ranks.
7. That those going to Johannesburg will not pay the full cost of a local service to the Oaks taxi rank, but only R5 when connecting to Johannesburg.
The Department of Roads and Transport is pleased that a settlement was reached to the benefit of taxi commuters in Maruleng. The department is further hopeful that violence which characterised taxi operation in Maruleng will cease to exist.
For further information please contact:
Joshua Kwapa
Cell: 079 185 7958 or 082 049 9667
E-mail: kwapaj@drt.limpopo.gov.za
