No taxi subsidy before basic services
When the taxi industry sneezes, our government catches a cold.
In principle, the government agrees to subsidising a taxi industry that does not pay tax.
The South African economy is facing a crisis. Our deficit is widening, we pay a lot to Eskom, SAA, salaries of a bloated cabinet and bureaucracy, and bling cars of public representatives – from councillors to the president.
The government subsidy to the taxi industry cannot get priority before we fully subsidise education, school infrastructure, houses and leaking water pipes in municipalities.
There are no funds to subsidise the National Health Insurance and fund internships for graduates.
The only weapon used in the battle of routes in the taxi industry is the AK47. The government would rather subsidise an industry that is at war with itself than subsidise our basic services. Is it not time for taxpayers to demand free basic services before subsidising this unstable industry? But first, let’s make a call to government to stop subsidising the SAA and SABC, crippled by Dudu Myeni and Hlaudi Motsoeneng, respectively.
Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi, who used the funerals of pupils killed in an Mpumalanga road accident to praise his patron, the president, must do the honourable thing: no taxi subsidy before basic services, disbanding of taxi associations, hit squads and wars. He must tell taxi bosses that we have to pay Sanral’s debt and that the economy is at a standstill and we have been downgraded. Mary-Jane Maseko
Piet Retief