MEC Jacob
Mamabolo has dissolved the executive committees of both the Witwatersrand
African Taxi Owners Association (WATA) and Nancefield Dube West Taxi
Association (NANDUWE) following deadly clashes that resulted in the killing of
at least two people.
On Tuesday, 15
September 2020, two NANDUWE squad members were shot dead near Nancefield
Hostel, in Soweto. Both associations have been engaged in a scuffle over routes
in the south of Johannesburg.
The MEC is
empowered by law to place taxi associations involved in violence under
administration. This after the North Gauteng High Court ratified an agreement
between Gauteng’s major taxi structures, the Gauteng National Taxi Alliance
(GNTA) and the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO-Gauteng), giving
the MEC powers to dissolve taxi associations involved in acts of violence.
Referring to
the killings, MEC Mamabolo said he was “deeply dismayed by the latest incident
which resulted in the spillage of blood. We cannot allow the taxi industry to
turn our province into the capital of murder and violent gangs”.
He also offered
his condolences to families and loved ones of the two men who were killed. He further
called on law-enforcement agencies to spare no effort in capturing those behind
the killings.
“We will not be
deterred in our efforts to modernise this industry so that it takes its
rightful place as part of a safe, efficient and integrated public transport
system” said the MEC.