To investigate and stop ongoing violence associated with the taxi industry in KwaZulu-Ugu Natal’s and Harry Gwala Districts, the South African Police Service (SAPS) established a multidisciplinary task team.
Since the beginning of the year, the unrelenting violence in the two areas has claimed 24 lives.
The police minister, Bheki Cele, revealed the new information on Thursday at a consultation hosted at the Ugu Sport and Leisure Center in southern KZN.
A total of 18 representatives from taxi associations and other taxi stakeholders were present.
The intervention, according to ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba, aims to address the rising taxi violence that has resulted in 24 fatal shootings in the KwaZulu-Natal communities of Ugu and Harry Gwala since the year’s beginning.
Any behavior by those in the taxi industry that aims to subvert the law is condemned, according to Minister Cele.
“The death toll from taxi violence has more than tripled compared to the same period last year, when five people were killed in this area,” the Minister declared.
We cannot throw in the towel and claim that this is only a transportation issue because, without special intervention, we risk reaching crisis levels.
To address some of the root causes of this violence, this safety issue requires police intervention and support from other departments.
Cele emphasized the necessity of putting an end to the bloodshed and gave stakeholders in the taxi industry her word that the multifaceted team would be organized and ready to work within the next few weeks.
“It cannot be tolerated that some taxi associations are able to collect millions of rands in annual member fees that are not taxed and the association officials can choose how to spend that money that is [unaccountably] used.
“It is obvious that we, as a government and particularly as law enforcement, need to clean house, clean this industry at the level of ‘izinkabi,’ also known as hitmen, because they are being paid by someone, and we also need to clean at the level of ownership,” the official said.
The Minister is adamant that this team, when it is put together, must make sure that taxi associations and the owners who are associated with them are able to describe the type of wealth they amass and the purposes for which the money is used.
He continued by saying that the task team’s work could serve as a nationwide resource for people seeking advice on how to resolve disputes of a similar nature in the taxi industry.
We must act quickly to make arrests even among our own ranks because the police cannot handle this situation alone.
In order to promote accountability in this industry, we must assemble a skilled team, and where money is missing from accounts, the best placed organizations, like the South African Revenue Service or SIU, can step in.
Those working in the taxi industry should also explain where some of this money comes from and what it is used for.
Along with representatives from the Department of Transport, Community Safety, and Liaison, the team is expected to include members of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), South African Revenue Services, and Special Investigation Unit (SIU).
As part of the law’s enforcement, the SAPS should also detain the hitmen and the perpetrators of the senseless attacks and homicides involving taxis.
A second installation of the taxi stakeholder meeting will be held in the coming weeks to finalize the mandate and duties of the multifaceted team, even though SANTACO has welcomed the creation of the task team. –