KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Mr Willies Mchunu will table a proposal at Cabinet to consider banning for good all taxi operators who are perpetrators of taxi violence.
Mchunu made this announcement yesterday, 12 December 2011, at the meeting with the three disputing taxi associations in Bergville. The three associations are Sizwe, Vulindlela and Bergville. They are fighting over the route between Bergville and Johannesburg. The area of Bergville has experienced the killings of taxi operators in the recent past.
Mchunu intervened and started a process to resolve disputes. He urged the associations to honour the court interdict that stipulated that each associate should adhere to the agreed routes.
Sizwe Taxi associate should operate strictly from Parkcity in Johannesburg to Winterton, in KwaZulu-Natal.
Vulindlela association should only operate from Johannesburg to Ngoba while the Bergville Association should operate from Bergville to Park city in Johannesburg.
MEC declared war on any operator who wants to disrupt normal operations and warn that their operating licenses will confiscated.
“Tomorrow I want to table at Cabinet a proposal to ban for good all operators who are fueling taxi violence. These people should be eliminated in the industry. We give you permits to transport people not a license to kill each other. Here in Bergville we have a resolution and all of us agreed to follow that process.
As far as know the status quo remains. No one is above the law. No operator should take the law into their hands. I also want to meet with the Gauteng MEC for Transport to address conflicting practices in granting operating licenses. We will not tolerate any form of violence and intimidation. We want peace and stability in this industry. If you can not find it we will find it for you,” said Mchunu.
Mchunu vows to fight lawlessness and to deploy heavy team to monitor taxi operations in the area.
Media contact:
Kwanele Ncalane
Media Liaison and Public Relations Directorate
Cell: 079 6995755 / 072 8031462
Tel: 033 355 8624
Fax: 033 355 8632
