Angry Eastern Cape taxi bosses are calling for the axe to fall on transport MEC Weziwe Tikana, whom they accuse of fuelling tensions with insults.
Santaco provincial head Noluntu Mahashe said they had appealed to premier Phumulo Masualle to remove Tikana “as we can no longer tolerate working with her”.
It comes after an “insulting” Facebook post in which the MEC is accused of lashing out at taxi operators. The post has since been removed.
Tikana has loomed large on the taxi sector’s radar in recent months as frustrations rise over the state’s years of failure to issue them with valid operating permits.
On Friday, taxi operators brought the Eastern Cape to its knees with a province-wide protest.
Thousands of commuters were left stranded while operations at several towns, townships and villages came to a complete standstill as hundreds of taxi drivers blockaded main roads.
A Greyhound bus was attacked outside King William’s Town and businesses, health services and school exams were disrupted.
Taxi operators marched to the premier’s office where they handed over a list of demands including immediate issuing of operating permits and implementation of the public transport integrated master plan.
They gave the provincial government seven days to respond.
Mahashe said relations between the taxi sector and Tikana were at an alltime low.
“We have told the premier that we don’t even want to talk to Tikana concerning our grievances as she seems not to be interested in resolving them.
“We said we don’t even want to see her crossing our path,” said Mahashe, who met with Masualle and provincial ANC secretary Oscar Mabuyane at the weekend.
Mahashe claimed she had been inundated with messages from Santaco members complaining about Tikana’s Facebook timeline following Friday’s strike action.
“Members were telling me they have been insulted and called all sorts of names in comments in that post.
“Members felt her utterances, and of those who commented, were fuelling violence and wanted to create another Marikana here.”
Mahashe said she reported it to Masualle and was later called by Mabuyane, who apologised on behalf of Tikana.
“The provincial secretary called and promised that he was going to ask the MEC to remove such post as it might fuel tensions.”
Masualle and Mabuyane could not be reached for comment at time of writing yesterday.
Provincial government spokesman Sizwe Kupelo declined to comment, saying it was a political matter, “which is beyond my scope”.
Tikana’s spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca said it was “unfortunate” that taxi operators felt they could no longer work with Tikana.
“As the department we still believe we can work together with all stakeholders in the public transport sector.
“It is unfortunate because the appointment of MECs is the prerogative of the premier and it should not be the other way around, with stakeholders demanding that a particular MEC be removed.
“We just hope we will find each other with the taxi industry operators and be able, going forward, to again work together for the betterment of the industry,” said Kumbaca. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
Taxi bosses want MEC removed
Santaco provincial head Noluntu Mahashe said they had appealed to premier Phumulo Masualle to remove Tikana “as we can no longer tolerate working with her”.
It comes after an “insulting” Facebook post in which the MEC is accused of lashing out at taxi operators. The post has since been removed.
Tikana has loomed large on the taxi sector’s radar in recent months as frustrations rise over the state’s years of failure to issue them with valid operating permits.
On Friday, taxi operators brought the Eastern Cape to its knees with a province-wide protest.
Thousands of commuters were left stranded while operations at several towns, townships and villages came to a complete standstill as hundreds of taxi drivers blockaded main roads.
A Greyhound bus was attacked outside King William’s Town and businesses, health services and school exams were disrupted.
Taxi operators marched to the premier’s office where they handed over a list of demands including immediate issuing of operating permits and implementation of the public transport integrated master plan.
They gave the provincial government seven days to respond.
Mahashe said relations between the taxi sector and Tikana were at an alltime low.
“We have told the premier that we don’t even want to talk to Tikana concerning our grievances as she seems not to be interested in resolving them.
“We said we don’t even want to see her crossing our path,” said Mahashe, who met with Masualle and provincial ANC secretary Oscar Mabuyane at the weekend.
Mahashe claimed she had been inundated with messages from Santaco members complaining about Tikana’s Facebook timeline following Friday’s strike action.
“Members were telling me they have been insulted and called all sorts of names in comments in that post.
“Members felt her utterances, and of those who commented, were fuelling violence and wanted to create another Marikana here.”
Mahashe said she reported it to Masualle and was later called by Mabuyane, who apologised on behalf of Tikana.
“The provincial secretary called and promised that he was going to ask the MEC to remove such post as it might fuel tensions.”
Masualle and Mabuyane could not be reached for comment at time of writing yesterday.
Provincial government spokesman Sizwe Kupelo declined to comment, saying it was a political matter, “which is beyond my scope”.
Tikana’s spokesman Ncedo Kumbaca said it was “unfortunate” that taxi operators felt they could no longer work with Tikana.
“As the department we still believe we can work together with all stakeholders in the public transport sector.
“It is unfortunate because the appointment of MECs is the prerogative of the premier and it should not be the other way around, with stakeholders demanding that a particular MEC be removed.
“We just hope we will find each other with the taxi industry operators and be able, going forward, to again work together for the betterment of the industry,” said Kumbaca. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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