SANTACO adopts zero-tolerance stance on violence involving its members

JOHANNESBURG – The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) is adopting a zero-tolerance approach to violence involving its members. 

Its president, Motlabane Tsebe, said that going forward, members found to be guilty of any violence will be expelled.

He was speaking at a media briefing in Johannesburg on Tuesday to address their issues and the allegations of the war with e-hailing drivers.

This comes after two e-hailing cars were shot at and torched outside Maponya Mall last week, leaving one driver dead and two people injured. 

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Tsebe asked the public to forgive the taxi industry for its reputation of having violent members responsible for crimes including shootings, intimidation and assault. 

Despite this, he distanced his members for being responsible for the Maponya Mall act, where a driver was brutally killed.

He said allegations of any crimes conducted by SANTACO members need to be reported,  so that expulsions can begin, along with police investigations.

Tsebe said he is confident that his house will be in order 

“We condemn this violence in the strongest possible way, it is inhumane, it is criminal, and it is unacceptable. We are saying zero tolerance to violence, we can’t be coming with another pandemic that is troubling our nation for a week.”

He added that he wants to restore the public’s trust. 

SANTACO has committed to providing burial assistance to the family of an e-hailing driver who was killed.

“We also spoke some Soweto ministers, because we need divine intervention. After the funeral, we are sending a team to go to hospital, and after that, we will do a prayer at Maponya Mall.”