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Angry Soshanguve taxi operators vow to intensify their protest

22 June 2020, 7:03 PM |

Tshepiso Moche | @sabcnews

Angry taxi operators closed roads in Soshanguve during taxi strike.

Image: Tshepiso Moche

Angry taxi operators closed roads in Soshanguve during taxi strike.

Angry Soshanguve taxi operators have vowed to intensify their protest until government meets their demands. Many commuters were left stranded as taxi operators pulled their handbrakes on Monday.

They are demanding that government increase the relief support to R5 billion.

The government has indicated it cannot afford the taxi industry’s demand for the state to increase its support.

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) and its affiliates have rejected the government’s R1.135 billion relief support to the taxi industry.

Soshanguve taxi operators have accused Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula of not listening to their demands.

In the video below, taxi operators express their dissatisfaction with the minister:

This comes after Mbalula left during a meeting with taxi operators in the area after he was shouted at by angry operators. He has called on taxi owners to stop fighting government and instead re-enter negotiations to fix the industry so that it can survive in a post-COVID world.

The minister has once again urged taxi operators to accept what the government has put on the table.

“The decision to avail R1,135 billion to the taxi industry as relief support was not an easy one. We literally had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to reach this amount. We believe the taxi industry is deserving of support as the largest mover of our people,” says the minister.

Taxi operators unhappy with Transport Minister

Taxi operators say while the government continues to enforce lockdown regulations which clearly stipulates that minibus taxis should not load more than 70% capacity, they are running their businesses at a loss.

They have urged the government to allow them to carry 15 passengers in their taxi or increase the relief fund. “We will transport a full load of passengers from now … if they want to arrest us they can arrest us. We will be ready for them,” adds one taxi operator.

They say banks continue to repossess their minibus taxis every day and that government is not helping them.

VIDEO : This taxi owner says the bank has repossessed his taxi as he couldn’t service his debt due to COVID-19. He has urged government to intervene to avoid this from happening to other taxi owners. #sabcnews #Taxistrike pic.twitter.com/SJ4rZ4notz

— Tshepiso Moche (@tshepimoche) June 22, 2020

One of the taxi operators says his taxi was repossessed last week after he failed to service his debt since the beginning of the lockdown. This sentiment was shared by many drivers in Soshanguve.

“Our taxis are being repossessed by banks and government is doing nothing because our government doesn’t care about the taxi industry. We have been operating our business at a loss since March and this is how the government thank us for helping them,” adds another.

Santaco calls for a peaceful protest

Protesting taxi drivers blockaded several roads around Soshanguve and Mabopane, forcing motorists to turn back home or seek alternative routes. They have also accused government of ‘unleashing soldiers’ on them instead of negotiating in good faith.

Santaco has condemned the blockage of roads and the intimidation of commuters by some of its members in Gauteng. Police had to use rubber bullets to try and disperse protesting taxi operators in Soshanguve on Monday morning.

Earlier in the day, police fired rubber bullets to disperse protesting taxi operators in Soshanguve:

SANDF and SAPS officials had to be called in to move taxi operators who had earlier blocked roads with burning tyres, tree branches and rocks among other objects.

The R80 Mabopane Highway which was closed on Monday morning was opened by law enforcement agencies.

VIDEO: Soldiers and SAPS ordering protesting taxi operators to open the road in 5 minutes #Taxistrike #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/AOWMyCXIE5

— Tshepiso Moche (@tshepimoche) June 22, 2020