Taxi bosses have finally made peace and apologised for killing their passengers and rivals during the violence which crippled the Cape last month.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula oversaw the signing of a peace agreement between the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and the Congress of Democratic Taxi Alliance (Codeta) in Cape Town on Monday.
They were joined by Provincial Transport MEC Daylin Mitchell and the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco).
The taxi bodies said they regretted their actions which left 24 people dead last month.
Cata Secretary-General Mandla Hermanus proposed that the money they were supposed to get from provincial government’s BlueDot project should be donated to the victims’ families.
“In total, we are supposed to receive R600 000 and all that should be given to the families of the victims who lost their lives because of us, instead of returning the funds to the treasury,” he says.
“It is time that we put names to the victims and visit their homes.
“We also apologise to the people who have lost their jobs and those students who have failed because of our actions.”
Codeta’s secretary Lesley Sikuphela says their actions have made commuters lose confidence in them: “We humbly apologise for that, and we will try to make the industry safe again and we are committed to the agreement.”
Reading a joint statement, Mbalula said from this morning, all licenced taxis must operate as normal although the disputed Route B97 from Paarl/Mbekweni to Bellville will remain closed as an arbitration process between Cata and Codeta was still under way.
“Following discussions with the two associations, we have reached an agreement that all legal operating licence holders for routes to and from Mbekweni, except for route B97, must commence the services as authorised by their operating licences or face the legal consequences,” he read.
“All routes will be monitored and action will be taken against associations and individual operating licence holders who are in breach of this instruction.”
He added: “Should there be further acts of violence, all affected routes operated by the two associations (Cata and Codeta) will be closed for all minibus-taxi operations for a period determined by the MEC and affected operating licences will be suspended.
“In addition, both associations will be suspended or deregistered by following the prescribed process.
“This will be done in the interest of public safety and other operators will be authorised to provide replacement services.”
He said any other associations found to be involved in violence will also be suspended or deregistered.
Government will also ask SAPS to probe taxi violence in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).
Mitchell added that the buses and trains put into service last week will keep operating.