Sansboc elects office bearers at provincial elective conference

The Limpopo branch of the South African National Small Bus Operators Council (Sansboc) elected its office bearers at a provincial elective conference hosted at Bolivia Estate last Thursday.
Johannes Ragimane was re-elected as Chairperson, with Vuki Mahlabegoane as Deputy Chairperson, Olivia Maponya as Secretary, HJ Dabishi as Deputy Secretary and Richard Chauke as Treasurer. The team will lead the organisation for the next term of five years.
The theme of the conference was ‘Passengers our assets, your safety is our priority’ and delegates from Capricorn, Mopani, Sekhukhune, Vhembe and Waterberg districts attended the conference together with the National President of Sansboc, Simlindile Hintsa, who joined to give moral support and advice.
Speaking during the conference, Transport MEC Makoma Makhurupetje said that she was pleased that Limpopo has a united structure that represents all small bus operators and called upon Sansboc members to assist her department in its fight against fatalities on the roads.
Makhurupetje said that it was appropriate that the conference took place during Transport Month. “It is a well-known fact that the economy cannot function without the transport sector. This is because transport is at the heart of both social and economic development. Together with the taxi industry, workers rely upon the bus sector when they need to travel to work and back – something which makes you a key logistical driver in our country’s labour market economy. The mutual affinity we share towards each other is once again an indication that our joint memorandum of understanding is well and alive. It reiterates the fact that the Department of Transport and Sansboc are more than partners in a common journey to make transport a human right, a human pleasure and an economic facilitator,” Makhurupetje said.
She added that public transport provides mobility as well as safety. “In our province generally, you will agree with me that the safety record of South African buses has been nothing but good and exceptional. Apart from two recent unfortunate incidences involving cross border buses, I’m pleased to report that in the last two years, Limpopo has not seen any serious road accident involving a bus which means that your members uphold higher safety standards. Let me commend Limpopo Sansboc and its members for continuing to ensure that we maintain exceptional safety standards on our roads,” the MEC concluded.

Story & photos: BARRY VILJOEN
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