Taxi operators in Rustenburg have called for the immediate resignation of the director of public safety in the Rustenburg local municipality.
The operators — members of the Northern Regional Taxi Council — called for Popo Kotsedi’s resignation during a protest march against rival taxis, which they say are run illegally in the town.
Rustenburg came to a standstill and traffic was disrupted due to the march. Taxi operators marched through the city to hand over their memorandum at the Civic Centre.
The chairperson of the taxi council, Bennett Africa, said Kotsedi and his unit manager had failed to perform their official duties to the fullest, and this had ”harmed stability in the taxi industry”.
He said by-laws were not enforced because some of the traffic officers and municipal police had invested in the taxi business, and ran taxis without permits or operating licences.
”The same officials connive with taxi warlords who are involved in illegal taxi operations,” he said.
In a memorandum handed to Rustenburg mayor Mathew Wolmarans and the provincial minister of local government and housing, Phenye Vilakazi, taxi operators demanded an investigation into the leasing of the taxi rank to a developer for 99 years without their being consulted.
Approached for comment, Wolmarans said he could not terminate Kotsedi’s contract on the basis of the taxi operators’ allegations.
But he said the operators should bring him the names of traffic officials and municipal officials operating taxis illegally, so that he could take action. Once he had their names, he said, ”I will fire them.” — Sapa