Fanyana Sibanyoni retains his SANTACO chairpersonship in Mpumalanga

Fanyana Sibanyoni, the chairperson of the Vukanini Taxi Association, has retained his position as provincial chairperson of the South African National Taxi Council in Mpumalanga. Sibanyoni and his committee were re-elected during the organisation’s provincial conference held at the Lillian Ngoyi Centre in Secunda on March 12.

Opening the conference, Sibanyoni told taxi association members in attendance that although significant progress had been made in transforming and developing the taxi industry, there was still more work to be done.

“When we took office, Mpumalanga was embroiled in taxi violence. Working together with the government and other stakeholders, we resolved those conflicts. Taxi operators are now experiencing a more democratic and structured way of running the taxi business,” said Sibanyoni.

He noted that despite the progress, the industry still faces several challenges. Among these are issues related to operating permits, where law enforcement officers sometimes demand permits during roadblocks even though the documents may have been left at their offices.

“Since we engaged with the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison in Mpumalanga, there has been some improvement,” he said.

Sibanyoni also raised concerns about illegal operators, commonly referred to as “pirates”, who operate without proper permits and compete with registered taxi operators. To address the issue, SANTACO members agreed to employ security personnel, with each taxi owner contributing R50 per month towards their salaries.

“Even police stations have security to protect government infrastructure, so we saw it as necessary to protect our work as well,” he explained.

He added that the organisation had purchased five vehicles to assist the security teams in responding to areas where illegal taxi operations are prevalent, particularly in smaller associations where pirate operators dominate.

Sibanyoni addressed misunderstandings between SANTACO and law enforcement agencies regarding taxi patrollers.

“Our patrollers are not stopping vehicles as law enforcement officers do. They only warn motorists who are not taxi operators from illegally picking up passengers from the streets,” he said.

The provincial chairperson also highlighted past tensions with taxi operators from KwaZulu-Natal, where Mpumalanga taxis transporting commuters to that province were sometimes stopped and accused of operating on routes belonging to local associations.

According to Sibanyoni, some Mpumalanga taxi drivers were arrested, and their vehicles impounded, while operators were allegedly pressured to use lawyers suggested by the arresting officers.

“We also had cases where taxi patrollers in Pongola demanded R2 000 from our drivers, accusing them of using their routes,” he said.

Sibanyoni explained that he confronted one of the patrollers by phone and warned that if Mpumalanga drivers were forced to pay such fees, drivers travelling from KwaZulu-Natal to Johannesburg through towns such as Piet Retief, Ermelo, Bethal, Trichardt and Leandra would also be expected to pay similar amounts.

“Our taxis were never stopped again, and our drivers were freed from paying the R2 000,” he said.

Sibanyoni said the newly elected provincial leadership would continue working to develop taxi associations and support their members across Mpumalanga. He also encouraged taxi operators to ensure their children benefit from training programmes offered by SANTACO and its stakeholders.

“The taxi business is a family business, and we must prepare the next generation through education and training,” he said.

The conference was graced by the Public Works, Roads and Transport MEC, Thulasizwe Thomo, who congratulated the newly elected Mpumalanga SANTACO provincial leadership.

ALSO CHECK: Lekwa Municipality MMC receives book donation for Morgenzon Library

ALSO CHECK: Govan Mbeki Municipality hosted a waste collectors’ and recycling workshop in Bethal