Pretoria - Roads and Transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo has been granted powers to place taxi associations experiencing violence and infighting under administration with immediate effect.
The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria made the ruling following an urgent application by the department to convert a resolution reached with the Gauteng branches of the SA National Council and the National Taxi Alliance on July 23 into a court order.
The MEC’s spokesperson, Melita Madiba said the government was granted the order that gave it the power of enforcement, expressly directing the SAPS to act against transgressors who violate any aspect of the resolution that is now a court order.
The department hopes the order will help curb recent spikes in taxi violence in the province, and particularly Tshwane, where taxi violence has flared up.
Among the resolutions included in the agreement is that the MEC is empowered to intervene in the administration of unstable taxi associations that are riddled with internal rifts and fights that pose a threat to human life.
“The MEC may restore good administration and prevent infighting or disputes, which are at the root of the taxi violence.
“He or she may place such taxi associations immediately under administration and appoint an administrator acting in consultation with provincial structures of the minibus taxi industry,” the court order said.
Madiba said this remedy and power was not provided for in the National Transport Land Act, and so the court order and resolution closed that gap in the law.
“The court order also brings to an end the old practice of collection of money from members through methods bordering on money laundering and will assist in putting an end to, as is alleged, such monies being used to pay killers and murderers that are currently ravaging lives of members of the taxi industry.
“The court order will therefore usher in new measures to modernise and formalise the payment of tariffs and fees within taxi associations,” Madiba said.
Mamabolo said these measures would promote accountability and transparency within taxi associations and ensure sustainable financial well-being of the industry.
“As the provincial government, we welcome this historic agreement and the resultant court order, as it, with immediate effect, prohibits taxi associations, including leaders of associations and the general members, from collecting tariffs and fees from members within the relevant taxi association through means other than those stated in the agreement.
“Such measures include that decisions to collect money from members should be based on democratic decisions reached and made by members that such monies should be deposited in a bank account and that there shall be full financial accountability through audited financial statements,” said Mamabolo.
He said the provincial government was convinced that the court order could only serve to strengthen efforts to stem the tide of liquidity that was “feeding and greasing the killing beast and machinery of killers and murderers” that found a lucrative market in the province.
“We are pleased that this historic court order will push back the frontiers of murderers and killers marauding and running loose in our province, threatening to turn areas identified as lucrative routes for capture,” he added.
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Pretoria News