‘They must return to communities’

Countries refugees want to go to say they are not ready to welcome them, says minister

TRANSPORT Minister Fikile Mbalula says the regulation of e-hailing services including Uber would be able to fix the industry.

This was after Mbalula announced yesterday the tabling of the National Land Transport Amendment Bill.

The bill makes a number of changes including the regulation of Uber, Bolt, and other e-hailing services.

The metered taxi drivers have previously complained about e-hailing services. This has led to violence in the industry with some of the drivers wounded or killed.

Mbalula said yesterday there was no need for violence in the industry.

The bill would be able to among other things prevent officers from being involved in the sector as operators as this was a conflict of interest.

Mbalula said he had met all the stakeholders on the regulation of e-hailing services.

“What I am doing through this law is to regulate,” said Mbalula.

He said the taxi drivers and e-hailing were all on board on the regulation.

Political parties in Parliament said they supported the bill.

But the EFF rejected it.

ANC MP Bafuze Sicelo Yabo said they fully supported the National Land Transport Bill as it would benefit many people who relied on public transport.

He said that many industries relied on an efficient public transport system.

He said the regulation of e-hailing services would ensure there was participation of South Africans and safety of passengers using e-hailing services.

There have been reports in the past of allegations of sexual assault against Uber drivers.

Chris Hunsinger of the DA said they also supported the bill.

He however said while many agreed the taxi industry was in need of major reform, this was not addressed in the bill.

Makosini Chabangu of the EFF said they rejected the bill tabled by Mbalula.

He said what the state needed to do was to expropriate land without compensation and build a reliable transport system close to centres of work. He said since the bill was published in 2018, many Uber (operators) related the same stories that they were overworked.

IFP MP Petros Sithole said they also supported the bill.

He said the bill was needed to regulate the industry.

But it comes at a time when there had been complaints of sexual violence made against some drivers.

He said the regulation would help address some of these issues as women had been victims of sexual violence when using the service.

HOME Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said the protesting refugees should either be re-integrated back into communities or sent back to their home countries.

Briefing the home affairs portfolio committee yesterday, Motsoaledi said various meetings of organs of the state and other stakeholders have reached a consensus that the only solution to the protesting refugees was to re-integrate them back to the communities they were staying in.

However, he told the MPs the offer for reintegration had been rejected by the refugees, who were insisting on not staying in the country because of claims of xenophobia.

“I think if this option is not taken, I don’t think the country has any option but to insist then that we must take people back to their countries of origin. That is not our choice,” Motsoaledi said.

“We are prepared to reintegrate them into communities. The countries they want to go to are not ready to welcome them,” he said in reference to Canada and Namibia.

“Our way forward, the only one we see, is to reintegrate them. If people can’t be reintegrated, it can’t be a stalemate. We have got no option but to say well ‘you are free to go’,” Motsoaledi said.

During his briefing, the minister gave a chronological account of how the situation had unfolded in recent months with protests that started in Pretoria and then in Cape Town.

This has seen courts issuing orders that instructed, among others, the verification of the refugees and enforcement of by-laws.

Motsoaledi said there were 122 women accommodated with their 127 children at Lindela Holding Facility in Pretoria after 433 were verified.

“It is significant that those who voluntarily returned to their homes indicated that they were lured into joining the protest action because the leaders promised them greener pastures of resettlement by the UNHCR in countries such as Canada, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates and US.”

In Cape Town, 780 people were verified and 538 were documented.

Motoaledi said refugees didn’t have a right to breach the laws and by-laws.

“In cases of violation, the law must take its course. The Department of Home Affairs believes that enforcement and compliance is the cornerstone of a successful execution of migration policies worldwide.”

He noted that the City of Cape Town failed to enforce by-laws and that the court had issued an order which requires parties to engage and find a “lasting solution”.

“The parties deadlocked especially because the City of Cape Town continued to resist the issue of offering alternative emergency temporary accommodation in accordance with appropriate legislation.”

But Antoinette Markram of City’s legal services said moving the refugees to emergency houses would create problems for the City.

“We do not have money and can’t assist at the moment. This was explained over and over and that is why the City does not provide alternative accommodation,” she said.

Markram also said the refugees have places they could go back to hence there was no need for emergency houses.

Richard Bosman, the City’s executive director for safety and security, said: “The statements of xenophobia were totally unfounded.”

He noted that many have shown interest to be reintegrated but they were being intimidated.

“The city views reintegration as the only way we can sort this issue out. There is no xenophobia taking place.”

Committee chairperson Bongani Bongo said the City and the department should work together to find a common approach in the matter.

“What I am doing through the National Land Transport Amendment Bill is to regulate… Fikile Mbalula Transport Minister