Oscar slams taxi strike
Transport sector will not hold SA’s democracy to ransom, ANC chair warns
Striking Eastern Cape taxi bosses, who caused a fear-driven mass stayaway and economic stoppages across the province on Wednesday, were given a dressing down by provincial ANC chair Oscar Mabuyane.
In a “friendly warning”, he told the taximen, and a few women, they would not be allowed to disrupt South Africa’s hard-earned democracy.
He told the 250 singing and dancing taxi operators at Calata House in King William’s Town that their disruptive actions, which caused the Mercedez-Benz East London plant to shut its doors for the day, could have catastrophic effects on the local economy.
Provincial police said 14 people were arrested for public violence, attempted murder and damage to essential structures. A handful of taxis were confiscated.
Spokeswoman Colonel Sibongile Soci said Aliwal North police arrested three young people and charged them with attempted murder after an attempt to run over a police officer with a vehicle.
Schools closed, or parents kept children at home and thousands of workers had no way of getting to work.
Traffic was dramatically down and at times main roads were eerily empty.
Mabuyane, speaking after accepting the taximen’s memorandum, said: “This is just a friendly warning to you that we must protect this hard-earned democracy we are enjoying.
“Today’s actions, which resulted in MBSA and other businesses being unable to meet their targets and deliver to their clients, may have detrimental effects. When MBSA lays off workers and sends them back to Mdantsane three or four years down the line, some will forget that it emanated from this protest today.”
Outside the Calata House gates they shouted: “Phantsi with Tikana, phantsi! [Down with transport MEC Weziwe Tikana]”.
The locked gates of the ANC offices were opened only for the Santaco top brass while the majority clanged on the spiked fence. Two minibuses with heavily armed public order police and the tactical response team were on high alert.
The taxi bosses, represented by the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) countered in their memorandum of complaint, by threatening not to vote for the ANC in the 2019 general elections.
Speaking into a loudhailer, Santaco deputy chair and Boxing South Africa (BSA) chair Phakamile Jacob told Mabuyane: “We put you in power. We can overthrow you as well.
“The taxi industry is a 100% black-owned industry but you are doing this to us. We will not vote next year if our demands are not met. We are tired of being ignored by Tikana and the ANC.”
The crowd shouted: “Bring back Thandiswa Marawu [the former transport MEC].”
Mabuyane urged taxi operators and their supporters, who had flocked to Alexandria Road, to raise their actions responsibly.
“The taxi industry has a bad name. Let's change the public perception about this industry. You are our brothers and sisters. Show the public who you really are, and help build the nation.”
But the crowd contiinued to shout “Phantsi with Tikana phantsi!” and “Tikana must go now.” Some women from the crowd even screamed: “Tikana is a witch and an oppressor of women.”
Santaco provincial president Noluntu Mahashe, in a wheelchair after being shot in her Amalinda home in May 2017 in a failed assassination attempt, and speaking through a loud hailer, claimed that her members were being brutalised and their taxis impounded by police in Tsholomnqa, Cofimvaba, Dimbaza, Alice and Flagstaff.
“I have been fielding calls from the police top brass reporting that my members were allegedly burning a bus in Flagstaff.
“I said look, you arrest those hooligans, that is not us.
“In Stutterheim, our members blockaded the road with their taxis and fled.
“The police informed me that if the taxis were not removed, they were going to impound them.
“I have sent the Stutterheim members from this protest back and told them to move those taxis.”
The protest began at Victoria sports ground at 9am and at 10m the group marched to Calata House. BCM traffic officials – who were highly visible in the city centre – closed off a number of intersections to clear the way for the marchers.
Police spokesperson Captain Nozuko Handile said no violence had been reported.
DA MPL and shadow MEC for transport Mashall von Buchenroder wrote to the legislature’s transport portfolio committee chair Ntombizodwa Xhanti urging her to urgently call a portfolio committee meeting to discuss the tremendous cost to the province of the taxi strike.
Von Buchenroder wrote: “We call for strong action to be taken against taxi operators who have brought the economy of the Eastern Cape to a crashing halt today. The taxi industry, through their actions, have shown that they do not care about the livelihoods of the people of this province.
“Tens of thousands of individuals, breadwinners, who are dependent on public transport to get to work, will take home less this month because of the strike.
“Businesses... have lost a day’s productivity they simply cannot afford.”
Provincial education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said schools were informed and warned to take precautionary measures, and there had been no incidents.
Provincial health spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha said ambulances operated as normal, but “some clinics in BCM could not operate as people failed to report for work.
“However, we made other plans, including sending people to assist in such situations.”
Provincial transport spokesman Unathi Binqose said there were regrettable acts of violence, serious provocation, intimidation and even elements of criminality.
Transport, safety & liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana extended a “special apology to those who suffered”...
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