We will not tolerate taxi wars, mayor reiterates
"I STRONGLY condemn the killing of taxi owners and the latest taxi violence that has erupted in Mokopane," said Thalefi Mashamaite, mayor of the Mogalakwena Municipality.
MOKOPANE – “I STRONGLY condemn the killing of taxi owners and the latest taxi violence that has erupted in Mokopane,” said Thalefi Mashamaite, mayor of the Mogalakwena Municipality as appointed by CoGHSTA, in a media statement this week.
The executive members of 11 taxi associations and members of the Mokopane police station held a meeting with Mashamaite, Puledi Selepe, acting municipal manager, and the council last Wednesday to try and find solutions to end ongoing taxi wars in the area.
The meeting was called after well known taxi-owner Sello Gideon Fatane was shot dead in front of his house on Friday, March 27.
The taxi association members who attended the meeting are from the South African National Taxi Council, Limpopo Provincial, Western Region Taxi Council and the Limpopo department of transport’s office of the registrar.
According to the statement, the two taxi associations that are at loggerheads, the Mahwelereng Taxi Association and the Mahwelereng Taxi Association Concerned Group did not attend the meeting. Mashamaite emphasised that they will convene a meeting with the two taxi associations as a matter of urgency.
“The Mogalakwena Residents Association and other expelled councillors are throwing fuel on the taxi-violence.
“They are not helping to gain stability in the situation, they are making the situation worse and we do not know whose interests they are serving,” said a member of one of the taxi associations through the statement.
Mashamaite advised the taxi operators to open a case against the people who are causing trouble within the taxi associations.
The MRA responded by saying they are not to blame.
“We do not know about the expelled councillors of the municipality as we are not a structure within the Mogalakwena Municipality.
“We are surely not fuelling the violence, instead we are addressing concerns regarding service delivery and the safety of commuters within the MRA, as Charlese Mgidi, a member of the MRA, was shot by taxi-owners on April 4 who have links with the municipality.”
Mashamaite once again reiterated the urgent need for peace and stability.
“We have engaged the police and they are working around the clock to bring these perpetrators to book.
“These killings are counterproductive and we strongly condemn them. We further call for the affected associations to be calm and ask community to work with the police,” said Mashamaite.
