A court order interdicting a taxi boss and his acquaintances from threatening the operations of taxi ranks in Mdantsane and East London has not deterred the disgruntled group from threatening taxi operators with violence.
The bone of contention is the re-election of the Mdantsane East London Taxi Association’s executive committee (Melta) – which others claimed was done irregularly.
One of the disgruntled taxi bosses, Mxolisi Sontshatsha, approached the East London High Court, representing himself and purportedly other disgruntled members of the association, seeking the courts to nullify the election of the association’s new leadership.
In his court application Sontshatsha said the appointment of Gabs Mtshala, Phakamile Jacobs, Nonzwakazi Yekiso, Buntu Mahamba, Mboniso Rasi, Welile Blayi, Bazalala Siko, Makhubalo Pendu, Mcebisi Mbonjeni, Nomalungelo Diko and Funiwe July into Melta’s executive was wrong.
He further put forward names which were “rejected”. He however did not make it clear in his papers at which stage the names were rejected.
Melta, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and transport MEC Weziwe Tikana were also cited as respondents in Sontshatsha’s application.
Sontshantsha asked Judge Igna Stretch to set aside the rejection of his nominations, the resolutions from a Melta annual general meeting (AGM) and a review, and setting aside a decision by the IEC declaring Mtshala and others as the elected Melta executive committee.
He asked Stretch to dissolve the existing committee of 11 until another AGM was held and another executive committee was elected.
Melta filed a counter application interdicting Sontshatsha and 208 others from interfering with their duties of transporting members of the public.
The 11 respondents have filled the positions since 2013 and their term of office expired in March 2015 but they have remained in office, because they were re-elected unopposed.
Sontshatsha claimed that in June 2015, the IEC endorsed the sitting members without holding elections.
The respondents filed a counter-application asking Sontshatsha and his supporters to be interdicted from “posing as Melta leadership”. In their counter application, the respondents asked for the disgruntled members to be interdicted from threatening Melta members, forging Melta letterheads, disrupting meetings and interfering with taxi operators from other provinces and refusing to allow them to load their taxis.
On May 10, Sontshatsha’s application was dismissed with costs and the respondents’ counter application was granted.
Sontshatsha tried to appeal but his application for leave to appeal was dismissed.
However on Thursday last week, disruptions started.
Mtshala then approached the courts on an urgent basis on Friday night saying Sontshatsha was in contempt of Stretch’s order.
Ruling on the urgent application on Saturday morning, Judge Belinda Hartle agreed that Sontshatsha was in contempt of Stretch’s order.
She said if the disruptions continued, police would be directed to make arrests.
As a result of the brewing tensions between the two factions, police have been monitoring taxi ranks.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala confirmed that police were aware of the situation.
“There have been no injuries or arrests but we occasionally have a squad car to patrol the taxi rank in the CBD,” she added.
Taxi boss, disgruntled group defy court order
The bone of contention is the re-election of the Mdantsane East London Taxi Association’s executive committee (Melta) – which others claimed was done irregularly.
One of the disgruntled taxi bosses, Mxolisi Sontshatsha, approached the East London High Court, representing himself and purportedly other disgruntled members of the association, seeking the courts to nullify the election of the association’s new leadership.
In his court application Sontshatsha said the appointment of Gabs Mtshala, Phakamile Jacobs, Nonzwakazi Yekiso, Buntu Mahamba, Mboniso Rasi, Welile Blayi, Bazalala Siko, Makhubalo Pendu, Mcebisi Mbonjeni, Nomalungelo Diko and Funiwe July into Melta’s executive was wrong.
He further put forward names which were “rejected”. He however did not make it clear in his papers at which stage the names were rejected.
Melta, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and transport MEC Weziwe Tikana were also cited as respondents in Sontshatsha’s application.
Sontshantsha asked Judge Igna Stretch to set aside the rejection of his nominations, the resolutions from a Melta annual general meeting (AGM) and a review, and setting aside a decision by the IEC declaring Mtshala and others as the elected Melta executive committee.
He asked Stretch to dissolve the existing committee of 11 until another AGM was held and another executive committee was elected.
Melta filed a counter application interdicting Sontshatsha and 208 others from interfering with their duties of transporting members of the public.
The 11 respondents have filled the positions since 2013 and their term of office expired in March 2015 but they have remained in office, because they were re-elected unopposed.
Sontshatsha claimed that in June 2015, the IEC endorsed the sitting members without holding elections.
The respondents filed a counter-application asking Sontshatsha and his supporters to be interdicted from “posing as Melta leadership”. In their counter application, the respondents asked for the disgruntled members to be interdicted from threatening Melta members, forging Melta letterheads, disrupting meetings and interfering with taxi operators from other provinces and refusing to allow them to load their taxis.
On May 10, Sontshatsha’s application was dismissed with costs and the respondents’ counter application was granted.
Sontshatsha tried to appeal but his application for leave to appeal was dismissed.
However on Thursday last week, disruptions started.
Mtshala then approached the courts on an urgent basis on Friday night saying Sontshatsha was in contempt of Stretch’s order.
Ruling on the urgent application on Saturday morning, Judge Belinda Hartle agreed that Sontshatsha was in contempt of Stretch’s order.
She said if the disruptions continued, police would be directed to make arrests.
As a result of the brewing tensions between the two factions, police have been monitoring taxi ranks.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala confirmed that police were aware of the situation.
“There have been no injuries or arrests but we occasionally have a squad car to patrol the taxi rank in the CBD,” she added.
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