The Mpumalanga Association of Student Accommodation (MASA) welcomed the Mpumalanga High Court’s ruling, which ordered the Topstar and KaBokweni taxi associations to stop conducting violent activities on people who transport University of Mpumalanga (UMP) students. On March 17 Judge Johannes Roelofse ruled that MASA was the legitimate body representing the service providers in accommodating the students, and as such, it had permission in the case. According to Roelofse, UMP students have the right to choose any mode of transportation they want, and no one can force a student to use a specific one. The associations and their members must stop the intimidation, blockading of roads, impounding of cars, and conducting violence against MASA members.

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The MASA secretary, Robert Dlamini, said the two taxi associations had prevented their members and parents from dropping students off at the university. They had impounded some of their cars illegally, harassed and intimidated them, claiming that MASA did not have permission to transport students to the university. “We took them to court because the situation was getting out of hand. It was not only our members who were harassed, but everyone who was dropping off students was victimised by these taxi drivers who are always parked at the UMP main gate,” he said.  

“This victory is not only for our members but for anyone, including parents and relatives of students, who was being abused for dropping students off at the university. Now that the court has made this ruling, state law enforcement agencies are called upon to act and protect our members from the violence they have endured outside the university and attacks on their private properties,” said Dlamini.

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The spokesperson for the taxi associations, John Mavundla, said they are still reading the judgement, and their legal team will give them a way forward. “It is too soon to react to the judgment, but I will give our legal team a chance to study it. They will tell us which steps to take, because we will not rest until we win this battle,” he said. Tlangelani Ubisi, UMP’s director of stakeholder liaison and communication, said, “It’s not about welcoming the judgement, since it is not the university that took the matter to court, but more about the fact that it has given a directive/order which we believe will bring normality to the transportation of our students from the accredited private accommodation to the university in order for them to attend classes and focus on their academic programmes.”