SANTACO WC calls for govt intervention in taxi industry violence
The taxi council's comments come after a deadly shootout at the Nyanga taxi rank between private security guards hired to guard taxi bosses from the same association who are in conflict.
Picture: X/AthlendaM
CAPE TOWN - SANTACO Western Cape chairperson Mandla Hermanus has called for government's intervention in regulating the taxi industry to minimise violence.
The taxi council's comments come after a deadly shootout at the Nyanga taxi rank between private security guards hired to guard taxi bosses from the same association who are in conflict.
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On Tuesday, one person was shot dead and six others injured in a gun battle involving heavily armed security guards from three KwaZulu-Natal security companies.
15 private security guards, a taxi boss and two other taxi owners have been charged in connection with the shooting.
Hermanus said it's their understanding that the conflict stems from the mismanagement of finances within the taxi association.
He believes that financial squabbles are behind this latest shooting.
"You find out that these monies are no longer used for their intended purposes of assisting members and running the association, but instead big bosses take over and they want to use these monies for their own interests and then that's where the problem starts," said Hermanus.
Hermanus has suggested that the taxi industry moves to a cashless system to avoid such violent confrontations.
"There has to be guidelines. This thing of people going in front of these queues and taking R10 and R20 from every taxi that is loading is not easy to manage and be able to hold people accountable for how much money they have made in a day and whether they bring all the money they collect to the office," said Hermanus.