Gauteng transport MEC threatens taxi rank shutdown for six months after killings

Gauteng transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela has mooted a shutdown of taxi ranks in the province for six months to address taxi violence.

Since January, 59 people have lost their lives in taxi-related incidents, with 30 deaths in March alone. This week, three people were shot dead in a taxi-related shooting in Soweto and a taxi owner was killed in Diepkloof.

Diale-Tlabela said she met women in the taxi industry who joined after their husbands were killed and agreed that stricter measures were necessary to stop the violence.

“The agreement we have is to close the taxi ranks not only for a week or two but to close them for six months and make sure that we come to the end of this,” she said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.

She said her department would hold consultations with affected parties such as taxi associations before implementing the shutdown.

“We are going to follow the process to the letter. But this must happen. It cannot be OK to continue as if it's business as usual. If they were killing each other among themselves, it would be better, but they kill ordinary citizens. We shouldn't allow people to die, somebody must take responsibility.”

She said the issue is “complex because we don't know who's killing people”, as no-one has been arrested yet.

“There are continuous meetings that address the conflict. Why are they not raising their issues there? And why are they resorting to killing each other? That is our worry, and that's why we will close ranks so that they come to their senses and understand that it's not about them. It's about all of us, and they can't bully all of us into using them.”

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