Minister Madikizela encourages taxi industry to participate in lekgotla | Western Cape Government

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Minister Madikizela encourages taxi industry to participate in lekgotla

8 October 2020

Minister Madikizela encourages taxi industry to participate in provincial taxi lekgotla

This week I continued with my provincial visits to encourage the taxi industry to participate in the upcoming provincial taxi lekgotla.

The Western Cape taxi lekgotla is scheduled to take place on two days, in Worcester and Cape Town on 14 and 15 October 2020.

This week I prioritised the Cape Winelands District and visited Witzenberg and Drakenstein municipalities where I engaged taxi industry members during my visits to taxi ranks in Ceres and Paarl.

Many people have lost their lives in taxi related violence in Paarl and Ceres. It was necessary for me to meet the industry members to share resolutions that have been adopted during engagements with the industry leadership in my tireless efforts to end taxi violence and killings across the province.

We can’t solve our problems by killing each other.

The Cape Winelands District tour is part of an ongoing engagement to get people to understand government’s role in resolving taxi conflict.

The route between Mbekweni, Paarl and Belville had been a major source of problem. Many people lost their lives in the ongoing fight over this route. We have already started a process of finding solutions to these challenges.

It is urgent to implement the resolutions adopted between the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works and the taxi industry in order to find a lasting solution to end the killings.

The taxi industry is structured in a manner which often results in acts of lawlessness. Drivers are always rushing to meet targets and this influences bad behavior on the road. We need to provide stability for people working in the industry.

A classic example of working together is the Red Dot taxi service. The successful Red Dot service which was implemented as a partnership between the Western Cape Government and the taxi industry to transport essential services workers during the Covid-19 lockdown showed what is possible when the minibus taxi industry is united and committed to providing a quality public transport service. 

The service is being delivered successfully by Umanyano Travel Services under contract to the Department.  Umanyano, was formed by SANTACO Western Cape, which represents the minibus taxi industry in the Province. 

If we can provide stability in the taxi industry and build on this innovation we can deal with the violence.

I look forward to a fruitful provincial lekgotla where we, together with the taxi industry will reimagine the future of the industry which is a major contributor to our economy.

Media Enquiries: 

Ntomboxolo Makoba-Somdaka
Spokesperson for Minister Bonginkosi Madikizela
Cell: 082 953 0026
Email: Ntomboxolo.Makoba-Somdaka@westerncape.gov.za