Peace Negotiations between Taxi Associations

Tensions between the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Congress for Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA) have prompted the Department of Transport and Public Works to support a mediation process to resolve the conflict.

This peace initiative will be hosted by the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) at the Langa Civic Centre at 10:00 on 17 September 2015.

It is hoped that the meeting will pave the way for a peace agreement between minibus taxi associations after a number of murders over a period of years.

The meeting will build on work that took place at a reconciliation workshop between CATA members that took place in Worcester between 9 and 11 September 2015. Participating members resolved that:

• CATA members would no longer try to resolve conflicts through the use of guns, they would engage constructively with one another.
• CATA would not recruit new members on routes where CATA members already operate.
• CATA members would not encroach on any routes they were not already authorised to operate on.
• CATA members who contravened any of these workshop resolutions would lose their membership.
• CATA would ask the Provincial Regulatory Authority (PRE) to terminate the operating licence of any member who contravened any of these workshop resolutions.

The Department supports any initiative that will bring about peaceful and uninterrupted operations on minibus taxi routes and respect for life and limb. It is committed to supporting the provision of safe and reliable public transport for the commuters of this province.

The Department will continue to work closely with all public transport stakeholders in this spirit, and to promote adherence with applicable laws and regulations. The Department is further committed to resolving issues that are within its powers to address, and will dedicate the necessary resources to doing so.