From roads to classrooms: Taxis give back
Westonaria taxi drivers and Santaco leaders swapped steering wheels for brooms during a clean-up drive at a local school.
Westonaria minibus taxi drivers and executive members from a local taxi association stepped away from the steering wheel to take part in a clean-up campaign at Bekkersdal Kgothalang Secondary School.
Principal Kgositsile Moeng expressed his appreciation for the initiative, describing it as an unusual but welcome act of compassion by the Greater Westonaria Taxi Association and its mother body, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco).
“We appreciate the good work done by our taxi association and the community, an initiative that started two years ago,” said Moeng.
He added that the charitable effort could not have come at a better time, following a call by the Minister of Basic Education for teaching and learning to take place in clean, safe environments.
Bonakele Mbozweni, chairperson of the Greater Westonaria Taxi Association, said this was the second clean-up campaign conducted at the school as part of Santaco’s Tlhokomela Programme.
“We have a good working relationship with the school, as we provide learner transport, and we hope this partnership will continue for many years,” Mbozweni said.
Santaco executive member Graham Fritz added that the initiative was also aimed at changing negative perceptions.
“This is to show another side of us as part of the community we serve – not only being associated with road rage, taxi violence or improper conduct,” he said.
