POLOKWANE – The newly elected Mankweng Taxi Association Rank Manager, Ben Nonyana, was shot by rival taxi factions on Thursday on the R81 bypass near Mall of the North.
According to statement released by Katlego Suzan Phala (MPL) DA, “taxi violence at the Mankweng Taxi Rank had been boiling over recently.”
“We have on record the DA calling for premier Mathabatha to intervene, to negotiate a truce and to install security at the taxi tank”.
The DA have written to the premier on many previous occasions calling for his intervention said Phala.
She carried on to say, “The premier had ignored the calls, and has done nothing to secure the commuters and the taxi operators who use Mankweng Taxi Rank.”
“Now a man is injured, while the premier sat idly.”
In the statement it says that the premier must be held accountable for the ongoing tension that has been mounting between Mankweng Taxi Association factions.
Phala says they will submit written questions to the premier to query what he has done to the calm taxi violence in the province, and whether he has engaged the taxi associations after the strong warnings from the DA.
“This unfortunate incident could have been avoided had the premier and MEC Mapula Mokaba Phukwane intervened when they were warned.”
“They missed out on the opportunity to avert this taxi violence shooting.”
She continued to say that taxi violence adversely affects commuters, and that the DA is deeply concerned about the safety of the commuters and other taxi operators.
The DA say they condemned the violence and and that the different operators should start a process of mediation to resolve the current dispute, which they believe should be led by the transport MEC.
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