FELDTA 1st birthday celebration
THE first anniversary of the Federated Local and Long Distance Taxi Association (FELDTA) in Limpopo is testament that the public transport organisation is growing by leaps and bounds.
LIMPOPO – THE first anniversary of the Federated Local and Long Distance Taxi Association (FELDTA) in Limpopo is testament that the public transport organisation is growing by leaps and bounds.
On Thursday, associate members of the FELDTA gathered at the Lulekani taxi rank in Phalaborwa to commemorate the revival of this taxi association which was deemed “dead” for a few years in the recent past.
Taking stock of its resurgence, the association’s affiliates said they were like the phoenix, the mythical bird that reputedly burns itself on a funeral pyre and rises majestically from the ashes.
The association’s resurrection could be attributed to incumbent chairperson, Reuben Thaba, who took this federation and made it his pet project.
Thaba’s word within the corridors of FELDTA was law, and he has earned respected among those who worship the ground he walks and thus bow to his chairmanship.
Thaba, known to be a man of many words, described the road to revival of this organisation as been “challenging.”
“As a key component of the South African taxi industry, FELDTA has come a long way since the very first taxi was introduced more than half a century ago. However, along the way there have been political bickering that marred several federations, and FELDTA wasn’t immune to this disaster. As a result, we became dysfunctional.
“Today, I am glad that we have managed to revive this federation as a result of a series of consultations with key stakeholders. At this moment, our provincial office has managed to forge strong relationships with reputable car dealerships and insurance companies in Polokwane. These relationships have already proven to be mutually beneficial to both of us. We are currently in talks with other potential companies whom we believe we can build strong relationships with,” he said.
Under Thaba’ chairmanship, the federation has successfully established a women’s league, chaired by Hulisani Grace Netshiozwi.
Netshiozwi, who is the general secretary of the Lulekani Taxi Association in the Vhembe district, is one of the few women in South Africa who have set their sights on transforming the multimillion male-dominated taxi industry.
“As women have no voice in this industry, it is a man’s world. However, with federations like FELDTA giving us a platform to raise issues affecting us, we strongly believe that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel,” said Netshiozwi.
