Politicians role in taxi feuds endangering safety and security

 Prof. Bheki Mngomezulu

The taxi industry plays a critical role in the South African economy. As the government struggles to provide reliable public transport like other countries do, the taxi industry has filled that void diligently. It ferries learners to school, students to tertiary institutions, and employees to their workplaces. This is commendable.

However, while this industry is the country’s lifeline when it comes to transportation of the people, it is gradually becoming a liability to the country and a threat to people’s lives. The question is: what is the political leadership doing about that? If little or nothing is being done, what are the reasons? Importantly, do such politicians deserve to remain in the positions they occupy if they fail to protect the South African public? 

Firstly, it should be noted that the increased number of taxis in the country has resulted in two developments. On the one hand, this increase means that there are enough taxis to transport people to their different destinations. This is a good thing.

On the other hand, the increased number of taxis has set taxi owners and drivers into a state of frenzy where they fight over passengers. They are concerned that they might not be able to collect enough money to pay their monthly premiums. In the process, some become violent and engage in unlawful activities, which are sometimes condoned by politicians. The public is on the receiving end.

In terms of the existing protocol, taxis have no jurisdiction beyond 500 metres from the taxi rank. This means that ideally, they should not pick up passengers beyond this distance because they would have filled the taxi at the taxi rank.

By implication, they should not prevent people from hiking beyond this distance. If a taxi is not full, there is no harm in picking up passengers along the way. But this is a privilege, not a right, which taxi drivers must protect at all costs, like they are doing. Any car can pick up passengers who are hitchhiking.

Unfortunately, those in the taxi industry follow passengers even beyond 3 kilometres and take them back to the taxi rank. This is illegal. If private cars give passengers a lift, taxi drivers either impound their cars or charge them anything between R3500 and R15000. The police and government are aware of this illegal practice but do nothing to stop it.

This takes us to the second point about political influence in the taxi industry. The main question is: why is the political leadership reluctant to regulate the taxi industry and deal with those who are in contravention of the law? The answer is simple: some politicians directly or indirectly benefit from this chaos.

Some politicians are hell-bent on being in the good books of the taxi owners for their political survival. Some are indirectly involved in the industry. Others benefit in ways that are not worth sharing with the public on this platform. In the process, the rights of the people of this country are being infringed upon.

It is for this reason that it is important to look at the intersection between the taxi industry, politics, and public safety. This should be looked at from a constitutional point of view, through a business lens, from a political perspective, and a moral point of view. All these aspects are intertwined and interrelated.

From a constitutional point of view, Chapter 2 of The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa lists different rights which South African citizens are entitled to. These rights include human dignity as enshrined in Section 10, which states that “everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected.” Unfortunately, such dignity is sometimes violated by the taxi industry with no recourse from the political leadership, which decides to look the other way.

Sec 11 of the Constitution states that “everyone has the right to life.” But this life is sometimes directly threatened by the taxi industry and is not protected by the political leadership. In other instances, the threat to people’s lives happens indirectly. When taxi associations fight their own battles over lucrative routes, their passengers, who are members of the public, are caught in the crossfire. In many instances, they become innocent victims and lose their lives.

While the actions by the taxi industry cannot be condoned because they are legally and morally wrong, it is the political leadership that must shoulder the blame. Any inaction from its side amounts to dereliction of duty. Politicians must enact and implement laws. This includes using those laws to protect the lives of the people as well as their dignity.

Another area of concern is the relationship between the taxi industry and other public transport options that have entered the market, such as e-hailing or ride-hailing. Clashes between the taxi industry and e-hailing drivers compromise the safety of passengers. The recent gruesome killing and burning of 27-year-old Siyanda Mthokozisi Mvelase from Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal at Maponya Mall in Gauteng sent shockwaves throughout the country.

Firstly, the killing was unnecessary. Secondly, the way Mvelase was killed was devoid of any morality and humanness. The colour of the skin of the person or people who killed him in that way does not matter. The bottom line is that this incident raised questions about Ubuntu. Even the worst thugs have not been killed in this manner.

The gesture by SANTACO, which offered to assist the family by ferrying Mvelase’s body to KZN, is commendable. The political leadership must up its game. This should entail doing everything within the confines of the laws of this country to regulate the taxi industry, manage relations among all those who offer transport services, and prevent a similar incident in the future. The government must regulate how the taxi industry interacts with bus companies.

Public safety should be a priority. Politicians must focus on their job and stay clear of the taxi industry. 

* Prof. Bheki Mngomezulu is Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy at Nelson Mandela University.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.