A small group of taxi drivers danced with traditional weapons in central Johannesburg on Tuesday to protest against the government’s ”broken promises”.
Between 80 and 100 protesters carried placards reading ”Impounding has to come to an end” and ”Enough is enough, this impounding has to stop”.
Said Amon Majofe, the president of the South African Problem Solving for the Poor Organisation: ”The government has been impounding our vehicles and it promised by April to give us R50 000 as a scrapping allowance for our old vehicles.
”But this hasn’t happened and this is why we are here.
”In this industry, there are the rich and the poor. The people you see here are the poor and they have come because of their problems with the government.”
Majofe said the protesters were mainly the owners of old taxis.
”The taxis that these people own are very old and some of them are only being offered R2 700 to scrap them. They can’t afford this. Most of these people are working hand to mouth.”
Majofe wants the government to empower the taxi owners.
”They have children to feed; if they are not helped, they will end up joining criminals.”
Majofe said his organisation is collecting fees to help the owners fix mechanical problems, such as broken handbrakes.
The protest was held with a strong police presence in Newton’s Mary Fitzgerald Square. — Sapa