Santaco summoned to parly over unresolved probes

The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) said yesterday it had been summoned to appear before parliament’s portfolio committee on police next week to engage in talks about why investigations tied with the taxi industry, including the mass murders of drivers in KwaZulu-Natal last month, had been inconclusive.

Santaco spokesperson Thabisho Molelekwa said the council was worried about why police had not come back to them with details on the brutal murders and other pressing issues concerning the industry.

He said Santaco had expressed its grievance to parliament, that now responded by summoning them for a thorough discussion on the matter.

Meanwhile, Molelekwa said the council strongly condemned the burning of two Golden Arrow buses that were allegedly connected to the taxi strike which kicked off yesterday in the Western Cape.

This incident, he said, is related to the Cape taxi associations’ alleged dissatisfaction with Santaco as the mother body.

“We call for calm, no anger justifies the burning of those trucks [buses], it is a criminal offence and not in the name of the taxi industry,” said Molelekwa.

He urged protesters to refrain from intimidation, obstruction of freedom for others, and violence as tools for their strike action because that did not solve any of the issues they were facing.

He said it was important for the taxi operators to understand that the only way their issues could be solved was if they had discussions between the relevant parties.

“We will make efforts to engage whether the other party is willing or not because it is part of our obligation as Santaco to do so,” he said.

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