Transport chief under fire at taxi inquiry

29 June 2016 - 08:41 By SIPHO MABENA

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela yesterday berated the Department of Transport's acting director-general, Chris Hlabisa, for defying a subpoena to appear before the inquiry into the allegedly dangerous conversion of Toyota Quantum panel vans into minibus taxis. Madonsela said Hlabisa's action was "disrespectful of the law"."Even if I had not invited them I would have expected them, given the responsibility they have to ensure that people are safe, that taxi owners are properly treated by those who sell taxis to them and those financing taxis," she said.She said Hlabisa did not attend the proceedings because he alleged he had not received details of the complaint after the subpoena was served. Madonsela said Hlabisa's attitude was inconsistent with what was required of people entrusted with public power and responsibility over others' lives.She said a subpoena was not negotiable, saying her powers of subpoena were as "coercive as powers of the court".Madonsela has since sent Hlabisa a notice of her intention to hold him in contempt.The department's spokesman, Ishmail Mnisi, said a lawyer appointed by the state attorney had requested information from Madonsela about the subpoena but nothing had come of it."The attorney felt that the public protector ought to have provided such information," he said.Madonsela started the three-day hearings in Pretoria on Monday following a complaint by former banker Hennie de Beer about the safety of the converted vehicles.De Beer said the conversions were unsafe as the vehicles were not intended to carry people and have a weak floor and chassis.He said the vehicles had no roll-over protection bars on the sides, seats were bolted to the floor and seat belts were attached to the seat and not the body of the vehicle. He said this caused passengers to be ejected with their seats when there was a crash .Phillip Taaibosch, SA National Taxi Council president, said taxi owners had been duped into believing they were buying proper minibus taxis...

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