The KwaZulu-Natal cabinet is to call an urgent imbizo on the instability in the taxi industry after more than 20 taxi-related murders in the province this year.
|||Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal cabinet is to call an urgent imbizo on the instability in the taxi industry after more than 20 taxi-related murders in the province this year.
This was announced after a cabinet briefing in Durban by the MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu.
Premier Zweli Mkhize has backed the meeting, which will be held once arrangements can be made.
“It was clear from the briefing by MEC Mchunu that urgent intervention is needed to ensure long-lasting peace and stability in the industry,” Mkhize said.
“We need to engage with everyone involved and make sure we stabilise the taxi industry in the best interest of commuters and the people of KwaZulu-Natal. We condemn this instability, and urgent corrective measures are needed to normalise the situation,” he added.
Mchunu said that problems in the industry ranged from the killing of taxi operators, lawlessness, conflicts over routes, power struggles over the control of associations and the increase of taxi fares.
Despite the department’s interventions, the problems persisted.
The recent spate of public transport instability was caused by taxi fare increases in a number of areas, including Folweni, south of Durban, where a protester was killed, allegedly by the police.
Other places where problems occurred were:
* In Stanger, taxis without operating licences stopped services, leaving commuters stranded.
Mchunu said the department had started facilitating the issuing of operating licences and had agreed with the association on a way forward.
* In Ngwelezane, in the Empangeni area, the fighting over taxi routes had resulted in the two taxi operators withdrawing their services.
* In Mpumalanga township, the taxi association continued to witness the “killings of taxi operators”.
“Given the above incidents and many others… we are of the view that an imbizo will provide an appropriate platform for all affected parties to share their views, and ultimately come up with an amicable solution,” said Mchunu. - The Mercury