Transport MEC feels heat over taxi strike
THE Minibus Taxi Industry Task Team (MTITT) and the ANC have blamed Transport and Public Works MEC Donald Grant for the taxi strike that led to the torching of buses and left thousands of commuters stranded earlier this week.
But Grant has dismissed allegations he or the department had failed to address the matter effectively. Thousands of commuters including pupils were left stranded across the Western Cape, two Golden Arrow Bus Services buses were set alight and three MyCiTi buses stoned on Monday.
At the heart of the dispute are internal matters within the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco), which has been involved in a legal dispute with the task team. ANC MPL Cameron Dugmore said after listening to all sides, including Grant, Santaco and the MTITT, it was found Grant had let disagreements reach boiling point.
“We received a full briefing from the task team, where they raised their concerns with the manner in which the MEC and his department were dealing with the implementation of the Farlam Commission report.
“In particular they alleged that despite a promise by MEC Grant that the provincial department would approach the high court in November 2017 to obtain an order of court to implement the recommendations, this was never done. Proof of this allegation was provided. This failure by MEC Grant has contributed to the current crisis,” he said.
Congress of Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) spokesperson Besuthu Ndungane said Grant had made it clear he and Codeta could not reach agreement, hence he was not part of the meeting that led to the strike being called off. “We are far apart because of the prejudice that the provincial department of transport has against the minibus taxi industry. Grant will never acknowledge what we are doing. He will continue to make his racist approach and... does not care about the future of the previously disadvantaged.”
Grant said: “What I must respond to is the task team’s claim that we did not follow through on a promise to get a declaratory order on the findings of Judge Farlam. We agreed with the parties involved that department of transport and public works would do so at the time, and the team had begun briefing senior counsel when the group circumvented this and approached the court themselves.
“We then responded in support of Judge Farlam’s recommendations and took action as per the recommendations. Judge Farlam was clear in his finding that this matter was an internal matter and fell outside the ambit of the department of transport and public works.”