Vukanini Taxi Association demands taxi rank back from Govan Mbeki Municipality

SECUNDA – Vukanini Taxi Association (Vukta) has given the Govan Mbeki Municipality an ultimatum of 14 working days to respond to their demands.

The association barricaded the roads in and around of eMbalenhle on Tuesday, 10 December in protest against the Govan Mbeki Municipality for allegedly selling the land where the taxi rank is currently situated in Secunda.

The association accused GMM of being unfair and misusing their political power to their own advantage.

The disgruntled taxi owners and drivers expressed their anger about the municipality not responding to a memorandum they handed over in 2016.

Mr Fanyana Sibanyoni, chairman of the association, said this time around, if the municipality ignores them again, they will come to park their taxis on municipal ground.

He said Vukta demands to be given back their taxi rank with immediate effect.

“The municipality was supposed to inform us about their intention to sell the land on which the taxi rank is situated, and should have given us an option to buy it.

“Although by law, the government should provide taxi ranks, the association is willing to buy the land and provide our own taxi rank.

“We also demand that the municipality create pick-up and drop-off points throughout the municipal area.

“We do not have a choice currently, but to pick-up and drop-off passengers anywhere and this often affects other motorists and causes accidents.

“People are swearing at us and accusing us of negligence that is untrue.”

The association demanded that GMM facilitates the expansion of the road between eMbalenhle and Secunda (Graceland Road) because it is too narrow for the volume of daily traffic. This often results in multiple accidents.

Speaking about the recent taxi violence where two taxis were torched, Mr Sibanyoni accused the municipality of inciting the violence between Vukta and the Zamkuhle Taxi Association.

“We request that the municipality should refrain from meeting with other associations to discuss routes without consulting us.

“Now there is a conflict between the two associations. We have relatives in Leandra and our routes to Tshwane passes there, but now we cannot go there because of these fights.

“We demand that the municipality leads and initiates mediation and peacemaking processes between the two associations.

“The truth is that taxi owners in Leandra are now struggling.

“We cannot allow politicians to mislead our brothers and sisters,” concluded Mr Sibanyoni.

The memorandum was received by Ms Ethel Nkosi, acting executive mayor, accompanied by the members of the mayoral committee and officials.

Ms Nkosi began her speech by apologising for not responding to the previous memorandum. She said that she will ensure that it does not happen again.

“We apologise for the mayor’s absence as she is attending the Salga Conference in Durban.

“We will respond as soon as possible.

“We also request that we meet with your executive committee today to come up with solutions to these matters.”

Speaking to The Echo after the march, Ms Nkosi disputed that GMM incited the violence between the two associations.

She said in the meeting they will clarify what transpired and that she hopes they will find amicable solutions to these matters.

Videos of the strike:

https://www.facebook.com/echoridgenewspapers/videos/342393679685650/

https://www.facebook.com/echoridgenewspapers/videos/320526492119338/

https://www.facebook.com/echoridgenewspapers/videos/2307241812896426/

https://www.facebook.com/echoridgenewspapers/videos/2095993393753994/

https://www.facebook.com/echoridgenewspapers/videos/539834733161336/

https://www.facebook.com/echoridgenewspapers/videos/304821436908323/

https://www.facebook.com/echoridgenewspapers/videos/1093280984188182/

https://www.facebook.com/echoridgenewspapers/videos/2275837825983251/