South African Transport Workers’ Union (Satawu) members marched to Gauteng public safety offices on Thursday to give the department an ultimatum to respond to their demands.
Satawu’s Gauteng general secretary Xolani Nyamezele said provincial minister for public safety Khabisi Mosunkutu had 14 days to respond to their call for the formalising of the taxi industry and improvement of employment conditions for taxi drivers.
”Animals are better protected than taxi drivers. At least the [Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] is there for them when they are abused,” he said.
”Unfortunately for taxi drivers in Gauteng, there’s no one to protect them.”
The union accused Mosunkutu of undermining it by agreeing to accept the memorandum, then not showing up on Thursday.
”Mosunkutu made an undertaking that he would receive the memo, but today he is not here,” said Nyamezele.
”Public representatives must be accountable and we are not begging for that. He is creating more problems than those that already exist because of his attitude,” he said.
The memorandum was received by chief director David Tshili from the traffic directorate on behalf of Mosunkutu.
A copy of the memorandum was also received by Jimmy Sojane, of the Gauteng roads and transport department, on behalf of its provincial minister Bheki Nkosi.
According to union officials, the memorandum was a follow-up to a memorandum handed to the department on July 21.
”He [Mosunkutu] told us in July that he would meet us within 14 days of receiving the memorandum and give us feedback on our demands.”
”But it seems he threw our memorandum in the dustbin soon after receiving it,” said Nyamezele.
Taxi drivers’ demands include a commission of inquiry into taxi violence in Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg; the registration of taxi workers by the Labour Department; and the introduction of benefits such as a provident fund and unemployment insurance fund.
More than 100 taxi drivers and marshalls aligned with Satawu marched from Beyers Naude Square to the Gauteng department of community safety offices in Fox Street, Johannesburg.
The marchers were escorted by police and metro police as they chanted and danced in the streets. — Sapa