POLOKWANE – The future of the Leeto La Polokwane bus service is said to be highly dependent on several meetings held this week between service management and some aggrieved beneficiaries.

Buses stopped operating on Monday allegedly on the order of beneficiaries attached to three taxi associations that operate in and around the city.

They are said to include owners of taxi permits that have been substituted with the Polokwane Municipality subsidiary on some routes through a formal agreement between them and the municipality.

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The agreement states that the group must benefit from a section of the income, be prioritised for employment and business opportunities in the operation of Leeto La Polokwane, the Seshego-Polokwane Taxi Association (SPTA) said.

However, sources have told the Polokwane Review-Observer that Leeto’s management failed to hold its end of the agreement and offered ticket examiner jobs and depot manning security tenders to unknown groups, a direct breach of their agreement.

In addition, a section of the R21m that the beneficiaries are supposed to receive after an unspecified period of time was not received, a matter that has led the aggrieved group attached to the SPTA, Flora Park-Polokwane and Westenburg Taxi Associations to call off operations on Monday morning.

Contrary to previous grievances, the associations did not physically block the depot but halted operations instead. A tactic they believe will have a negative effect on their business and reputation.

SPTA’s Ally Mothiba confirmed that they were having a meeting to resolve the matter today at the bus depot.

On Monday, the Polokwane Review-Observer contacted the Leeto La Polokwane spokesperson Malesela Maubane for comment regarding the allegations made and reasons for halt in operations, overdue compensation and failure to comply with the agreement on business and employment opportunities.

His response is still pending.