GMM and Vukta meet to resolve problems
The police claimed that at no stage was the situation out of control.
SECUNDA – Both Vukanini Taxi Association (Vukta) and the Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) believe that there will soon be permanent solutions to the problems faced by them following a meeting on Tuesday, 11 December.
The meeting was proposed by GMM after Vukta took to the streets to hand over their memorandum. Vukta received information that the municipality had sold the land on which the Secunda Taxi Rank is situated.
In the memorandum, the association demanded that the municipality give them back their taxi rank and that the municipality build pick-up and drop-off points throughout the municipal area.
Mr Fanyana Sibanyoni, Vukta chairman, said the association is happy with the development of the matter.
“No major decision has been made, but we are happy with the manner they treated us and we hope for a positive outcome by January.
“We will continue to do our job as usual.”
Mr Benzi Soko, chief of staff, said the GMM’s political and administrative leadership met with the Vukanini Taxi Association on 11 December after the memorandum handover which took place earlier the same day.
“Mention should be made that the engagements dealt with a plethora of issues which included inter-alia, the alleged selling of the taxi rank.
“The meeting resolved to establish a multi-task team/committee that will deal with this and other related issues in a structured manner with an objective of finding workable and sustainable solutions.
“Both parties nominated delegates who will form part of the team for further engagements.
“The task team will get together on 19 December. It is our firm view that these engagements will yield positive outcomes.”
A few days after the march, a post and a voice note with disinformation about the peaceful march were trending on social media.
The post warned people to stock up and prepare for the worst, while the voice note warned neighouring towns that violence was rampant in Secunda and spreading to other towns.
These stories caused unnecessary panic.
The author of the post wrote in Afrikaans that all the roads into and out of Secunda were blocked off within 12 minutes, and that no one could move in or out of the town.
Residents were basically held hostage.
The writer suggests the people form groups to discuss action plans and escape routes, buy two-way radios and stock up on tinned goods… go into survival mode so to speak.
The person behind the voice note claimed that more than 20 taxis were set alight, residents were being attacked and that the violence was spreading to other towns.
The police, security companies and community associations such as AfriForum, countered these messages with ones in which people are cautioned not to panic.
The town was not blocked off.
The taxis merely moved in groups to the Govan Mbeki Municipality.
The police claimed that at no stage was the situation out of control.
