Gender activists take on SA taxi drivers

Johannesburg - Gender activists took to the Bree taxi rank in the city’s CBD on Friday afternoon in an effort to encourage minibus taxi drivers to treat female passengers with respect.

Members of the NGO ActionAid South Africa spoke to taxi drivers, staged two street theatre performances and painted a mural on the inside of the taxi rank.

Matshidiso Mofokeng, a member of community-based LGBTI group Vosloo Activators, said women and those who identify as LGBTI face similar challenges when using public transport.

“As women, we face so many challenges because we live in a patriarchal society,” Mofokeng said. “As a black lesbian who uses public transport, you find that taxi drivers are very homophobic. Today we are here to say enough is enough of gender-based violence.”

ActionAid South Africa members approached taxi drivers as they drove into the rank and gave them fliers with facts about gender-based violence.

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Mofokeng and other activists said most of the taxi drivers they spoke to did not respond positively to their message.

“For them it’s something that is normal,” Mofokeng said. “When we interact with them, they say ‘We are not interested’.”

One taxi driver the group spoke to, Sphiwe Nzima, said it was drivers' responsibility to make sure passengers were comfortable, especially because they often use taxis late at night when it might be less safe.

“Because we stay here for long hours, we have to create a more safe environment,” Nzima said. “It’s important that they are safe because they are our customers.”

Activists painted a mural with a message in isiZulu and English: “Women have the right to use taxis without fear of violence and harassment.”