Minister Carlisle Addresses Taxi Industry in Delft Civic Centre

"After agriculture you are the second biggest industry and employer in the Western Cape," Minister Carlisle tells the 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 tenth anniversary.

There was also a massive Santaco birthday cake on display.

• Read Minister Carlisle's speech.