Buscor’s executive chairperson, Dr Norah Fakude, has denied ever writing a short comment in which she appears to be looking down on the local taxi associations.This fake post went viral last week during the taxi strike that caused the shutdown in Mbombela and surrounding areas.
On Monday October 3, she said she did not understand why someone tried to cause trouble for her, and that it appears to be character assassination.
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“I respect everyone, big or small. To me respect is important. I am sorry to the people who believed I would say something like that, but I am not that kind of person. I have never had a meeting with taxi operators – the department is the one that does. We once tried to meet, however, on that day, the taxi association walked out of the meeting.”
She said the way it was written feels like a threat to her as a person, and she does not understand why people are attacking her.
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The fake post read: Executive director of Buscor Ms Nora Fakude responded to the cries of taxi owners. I can buy all your taxis if you give that opportunity and the taxi ranks I can operate the industry comfortably with all buses in operation. Your monthly instalment won’t be stopped by burning of my buses, but will be stopped by paying them, and that is only if you get back to work. I still maintain my response I won’t talk to uneducated fools.
The scammer added an eNCA breaking news graphic below the comment. It caused a spark, as some people believed it the message indeed came from her.
Fakude said she would never say something like that to taxi operators or the associations.
Buscor released a statement to clear the allegations.
It read: “Buscor rejects the malicious fake news clips circulating on social media platforms attributed to its executive chairperson, Nora Fakude. May the public desist from distributing such. They are inciteful and not a reflection of Buscor leadership”.
She said they checked with eNCA as to what was happening, and they confirmed to her they had no connection to the post.
“They said they do not know who created it and where it came from, but that it was not them.”
