Members of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the Western Cape have welcomed their newly elected leadership at Mew Way Hall in Khayelitsha on Wednesday 15 April. The new leadership was elected in a three day conference held at Houw Hoek Hotel in Grabouw. The conference began on Tuesday 7 and ended on Thursday 9 April.
READ ALSO: Santaco Western Cape new leadership elected at Grabouw conference
Representatives from all eight regions affiliated with the council attended the ceremony.
Unity and peace remain top priorities in the taxi industry
Speaker after speaker emphasised the importance of fostering a strong working relationship within the council, highlighting that maintaining peace remains a top priority.
Outgoing Santaco Western Cape chair Mandla Hermanus said its core message has always been about promoting peace.
He stressed that peace begins with individuals and encouraged members to speak out whenever necessary.
Outgoing chair highlights Peace Ambassador Programme
“As the previous leadership, we established a ‘Peace Ambassador Programme’ with the slogan, ‘If you hear something, say something’. What you hear may help resolve an issue. Peace starts with individual operators and extends to leadership.”
Hermanus added that achieving peace within the organisation earned respect from the government, the business community and the broader public. He also raised concerns about instability in the taxi industry, mentioning the Congress of Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) and the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata).
“What puzzles me is that when there are business opportunities there is no conflict; instead there is cooperation. Why can’t we extend that same working relationship to our operations? We need that same business mindset.”
New chair calls for evidence-based accountability
Newly elected Santaco Western Cape chair Besuthu Ndungane acknowledged that taxi violence remained a challenge in the industry. However, he cautioned against making unfounded allegations.
“People often report allegations, but as an association we cannot act without tangible evidence linking the accused to our organisation. In most cases we wait for law enforcement to provide verified information.”
He stated that one of the conference resolutions is to host an urgent peace summit aimed at addressing the root causes of violence and the loss of lives experienced during the outgoing leadership’s tenure. He added that part of the plan is to strengthen internal processes within the association.
He added the council was committed to working with government at all levels and would strive to ensure stability and smooth operations within the industry.
