Stop calling us “mageza” we clean up well
"Enough is enough, we are tired of being called mageza."
The Bolobedu Taxi Association (BOTA) said they would like people to stop calling them “mageza pompini”, loosely translated; ‘people who wash themselves at the tap’, because they clean up very well and dress like they do corporate work.
Although it’s not an everyday thing where they put on a shirt and a tie, when they do, they do it in style.
“Enough is enough, we are tired of being called mageza,” said Marcus Makene, one of the taxi drivers.
He added that their dress sense goes hand in hand with their kind hearts.
“We believe that the customer is always right and we speak well with them. We handle our customers with respect and whenever we encounter a problem we talk to the queue marshal and he will solve it,” Makene said.
He said people should stop associating taxi drivers with filth and unfitness. “Our cars are always clean and when customers want to eat in the tax we advise them to throw their litter in a plastic bag. To keep fit we play soccer with other associations. We have recently introduced the Drivers Club, where we have played with associations from Johannesburg, Mokwakwaila, N’wamitwa and Sekgosese,” added Makene. He said they are appealing to other associations to play with them. “It can be a bus association, police, traffic and even metered taxis,” he said.
He said at the moment they are having a few challenges with things needed to host a successful soccer match. “Those interested can assist with soccer balls, whistles and bibs,” he said.
He said soccer keeps their bodies fit and helps them stay away from criminal activities and alcohol.
