'After agriculture you are the second biggest industry and employer in the Western Cape,' Minister tells taxi industry
Robin Carlisle, the Minister for Transport and Public Works in the Western Cape today joined the National President of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), Mr AJ Mthembu and the Regional Executive Chairperson of Santaco Western Cape Mr Vernon Billet, at the unveiling of a plaque in remembrance of members of the Western Cape Minibus Taxi Industry who lost their lives during the Minibus Taxi Wars.
Family members of 91 members of the industry will be given certificates in acknowledgement of their pain and suffering.
Regional Executive Chairperson of SANTACO Western Cape Vernon Billet said that as an industry, “we are so, so very sorry to the widows of those that lost their lives in the Taxi Wars.” He added that members of the taxi industry had learned a valuable lesson and that was that instead of fighting and talking later, “now we talk first.
“We also want to be a model for the rest of the country that there can truly be unity in diversity,” he said.
Santaco General Secretary, Philip Taaibosch encouraged members of the industry “to go to those families that lost loved ones” and to offer financial assistance.
“A certificate alone will not help them,” he said.
This morning’s celebrations were also to celebrate the sound working relationship between the Department of Transport and Public Works and the Minibus Taxi Industry, the fact that fatal minibus taxi crashes have come down drastically in the Western Cape over the past three years, to honour industry ‘veterans’, the merger of the NTA and Santaco, as well as Santaco’s 10th Anniversary.
There was also a massive Santaco birthday cake on display.
Minister Robin Carlisle speech:
I want to say a very special thank you to the Executive of Santaco in the Western Cape. I would like to thank you in your personal capacities because of the courage you have shown over the past few years. At the time you decided to bring everyone in the industry into one house there were many within your respective ranks that were against it completely, but you still had the courage to go ahead and do it anyway.
Out of that courage arose this commemoration here in Delft today. And I don’t think there has been a meeting like this one in all the history of the Western Cape.
The people are here to celebrate peace and it is a pleasure and an honour to celebrate peace with you.
But it is important to remember who you are and what you represent - every day you and your staff transport over 300 000 Capetonians to work and back. In many parts of the Western Cape you are often the only public transport there is.
After agriculture you are the second biggest industry and employer in the Western Cape.
But most importantly this industry was built by those who had nothing but hope and hard work. People who asked for nothing except fair play and a place in the sunshine from which to operate their businesses.
You are an industry that has shown what can be achieved with only determination and the will to succeed.
The Western Cape Government wants to see this industry grow in wealth and sophistication.
For our part, my Department will continue to be honest with you at all times, to create an environment of trust that is fair and corruption-free. My administration will offer that to you as the most important aspect of our work.
This kind of event to commemorate those that died in the Taxi Wars is crucial for you to grow into a greater and greater industry.
It is exciting to see you diversifying into aeroplanes and I can’t help but wonder whether you have considered trains at all.
Stability and peace needs recognition that we are one family, not bosses and lords, but one family.
Thinking back to [Minister lists names of taxi industry members he knew personally over the years and who died in the Taxi Wars], I can only say that my wish today is that I will never again have to attend the funeral of a person in the industry who died by violence.
My wish for all of you is that you will grow old and grow rich from wonderful businesses and die in your beds.
I thank you.
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