Shape up, Transport MEC tells SANTACO
I want to urge the leadership of Santaco to revisit the resolutions we took at the lekgotla.
Transport MEC Mavhungu LeruleRamakhanya says as a shareholder in the industry, the department has taken a keen interest in how South African National
Taxi Council (Santaco) conferences are run because of the critical role that the council plays in society.
Lerule-Ramakhanya was delivering a message of support as one of the stakeholders at the Santaco provincial conference held in Polokwane last week. The conference saw the new provincial leaders of Santaco elected, and comes just days after taxi operations were halted in Polokwane because of an ongoing feud between the Seshego taxi association and the Mankweng taxi association who have been battling for some time now to work together on the Mall of the North route along the R81. The feud last Friday left two taxis and one patrol car belonging to the Mankwang association burnt out, spokesperson Frans Kgasago confirmed.
The MEC said millions of people in the province still rely on public transportation to commute to work and the department does not take the important role that the taxi industry plays to sustain the economy lightly. “I know this is an elective conference of the taxi council in the province and I don’t want to reduce it to the level of conflicts affecting two associations but any form of disruption in the city has a serious impact on our economy. I want to urge the leadership of Santaco elected in the regional conferences in the past two weeks, to revisit the resolutions we took as the province during the district and provincial Lekgotla. We have advocated for peace, professionalising and formalisation of the industry, among other resolutions. Your election to positions of responsibility must revive that which we resolved to achieve.”
Lerule-Ramakhanya has no doubt that the elective conference will produce leaders who will advocate for a peaceful and professional industry and that the conference won’t only be for election of leaders to positions of power in the council but must also come with resolutions to improve the industry. “In our districts, provincial and national Makgotla, we spoke of transformation in the taxi industry. The transformation we advocated for will not just be on paper but an exercise that must be realised. I have worked very closely with the council since I was tasked with the responsibility to lead this department and I don’t remember ever seeing a female in the council leadership. In the ANC, we are compelled to have gender-balanced structures and there has been a significant change since the adoption of that resolution. I am challenging the leadership that will be elected today to prioritise transformation of the industry. Women are equally capable and have demonstrated in various structures and formations that given a chance, they can even do better than their male counterparts.”