LACK OF ACTION IS SHAMEFUL

ANY government official, including a Cabinet minister, who has to be forced to do a job they signed up for should be fired on the spot, especially in cases involving the safety of citizens.

That is certainly the expectation in the private sector, where negligence can hardly be tolerated and the only way out is dismissal.

In government boardrooms the opposite is true, starting right at the top, including ministers.

That a judge had to intervene and direct the Eastern Cape Transport MEC and Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to fulfil their obligations to maintain law and order relating to attacks on long-distance bus company Intercape, is beyond shameful.

If it were not for Intercape’s strong conviction, Mbalula and the Eastern Cape government would continue ignoring the plight of thousands of travellers who have been at the mercy of criminals in the taxi industry.

It then comes as no surprise that no one has been arrested for 61 cases relating to attacks and that the court found that former MEC Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe “acted unlawfully” in instructing the company to enter into negotiations with the minibus taxi industry, and suspend its services in certain towns pending the outcome of these negotiations.

As such, the people of Cofimvaba, Dutywa, Butterworth, Ngcobo and Tsomo were left stranded after the company suspended operations due to intimidation, and only operated out of Mthatha on the inter-province route.

Intercape’s only sin, which has seen the company losing one of its drivers, is that it doesn’t belong to an association, and some thugs in the taxi industry are trying to force it to.

Thanks to Judge John Smith, the Transport MEC must “take positive steps to ensure that reasonable and effective measures are in place to provide for the safety and security of long-distance bus drivers and passengers in the Eastern Cape”.

Judging by the silence of any of the officials on this damning judgment, it’s safe to assume that they admit to their failures and couldn’t care less about the safety of the passengers.

They know their boss, President Cyril Ramaphosa, won’t do anything about it as he has been ignoring Intercape’s call for intervention.

That’s the president leading by example.