Members of South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) are on a mission to fight the high rate of taxi violence taking place in the Eastern Cape.
These members hosted a meeting at Garden Court in Mthatha, with the aim of coming up with a solution to end the conflict.
According to the chairperson for SANTACO, Zola Yolelo, he called the meeting as a Member of the Executive Committee, to try to find solutions to this problem.
He said that among the items discussed were the instability in the taxi industry in this province and other problems that needed to be solved.
Yolelo said that they had decided on a task team to resolve the taxi conflict in the province, once and for all.
“We are also talking about the incorporation of the independent contractors pertaining to scholar transport learners; we are talking about those learners who are carried by the private service providers. We are going to incorporate those service providers into SANTACO, because they belong to us,” said Yolelo.
He added that there should be no fight between the taxi industry and them (service providers).
According to him, they were trying to ask the taxi industry not to disturb them from now onwards, because they are their members.
Yolelo said that the taxi industry should work together with the independent contractors.
“[With regard to] the incorporation of the meter taxis as SANTACO, we have a space for them. The meter taxi group is not our enemy, but they are the part of our industry. We are going to call them and incorporate them to be also our members.”
He said that they should enjoy the rights and privileges of SANTACO.
Yolelo confirmed that in some areas conflict was taking place and people were being killed. He said that he could not deny it, because people were still dying, and if he denied it, it means he enjoyed that bloodshed.
He added that it was high time for them to stand up and do something, and stop the taxi killings.
He confirmed that they would call all the affected parties to the table, with the help of the police.
Yolelo confirmed that he had spoken with the MEC for Transport, Xolile Nqatha, to support all the individuals that will attend the meeting if it is necessary.
“The people must not fear for their lives when going to that meeting of SANTACO. We know that people are worried about this, but we as SANTACO did not take part to install peace between these two mother bodies (Ncedo Taxi Association and Border Alliance Taxi Association); they are the ones who used to hold meetings to install peace.”
He said that they are the ones who thought they had a problem of conflict; they gave them space to resolve their issues.
He said that they had given space also to the mediation task team elected by the premier of the Eastern Cape, Oscar Mabuyane, but all those things did not help.
“Instead of the number of people who are killed decreasing, it is increasing. Now as SANTACO I have to account for that governmentally, to non-government organisations, and to the public. I have to tell them what I should do about this; that is why we as SANTACO are standing up now.”
