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The Citizen
2 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Violence in transport sector sparks government response
The Department of Transport has condemned the violence and criminality that claimed the life of an e-hailing driver and left two others injured during an incident at Maponya Mall, Soweto, on Wednesday. In a statement on Thursday, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa expressed their condolences to the bereaved family and reiterated that such behaviour has no place in South Africa's public transport sector. 'Those responsible must face the full might of the law,' the department said. ALSO READ: One dead in suspected taxi violence at Maponya Mall According to reports, violence broke out at the popular Soweto mall, allegedly involving taxi operators and e-hailing drivers. Gauteng police have since been monitoring a protest by community members outside the shopping centre. Tackling the root causes of violence The department said it is working to address the broader challenges affecting the public transport system, with persistent violence at the top of the agenda. At a meeting held on 25 April 2025, Minister Creecy and leaders of the taxi industry jointly denounced violence and agreed to establish a task team between the National and Gauteng Provincial Departments of Transport. ALSO READ: WATCH: Community protests after the death and injuries of e-hailing drivers The team's priority is to fast-track the digitisation of operating licence applications to resolve route encroachment disputes — a major cause of taxi-related violence. Industry leaders have been asked to reflect on the matter and submit concrete proposals to government. Reforms and legislation The Department of Transport is also implementing the National Land Transport Information System (NLTIS), which will link operating licences to the National Traffic Information System (eNATIS) and prevent the unlawful use of a single licence for multiple vehicles. Meanwhile, legislative changes are paving the way for greater regulation of e-hailing services. In 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law amendments to the National Land Transport Act (NLTA) of 2009, enabling e-hailing operators to apply for licences like other public transport providers. ALSO READ: Gauteng MEC to visit Maponya Mall to assess ongoing tensions in public transport sector The President also signed the Transport Appeal Tribunal Amendment Act in June 2024. The regulations have been approved and are awaiting translation into a second official language before gazetting and implementation. 'This will usher in a new era in the regulation of e-hailing services,' the department said.
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- TimesLIVE
'Urgent, decisive action' being taken after deadly e-hailing attack: Creecy
One person died and two others were injured after e-hailing vehicles were attacked at Maponya Mall in Soweto on Wednesday evening Transport minister Barbara Creecy says urgent and decisive action is being taken to address the widespread challenges in the public transport system, with particular focus on ending the violence that continues to plague the sector. This comes after e-hailing vehicles were attacked on Wednesday evening at Maponya Mall, Soweto, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to two others. According to the police, an e-hailing vehicle was seen stopping at the entrance of the mall when about four men approached the driver and shot at him before torching the vehicle. Gauteng police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said another vehicle nearby was shot at but the driver managed to flee though his vehicle was also torched. Creecy and the deputy minister, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, condemned the incident, saying such criminal behaviour has no place in the public transport sector. They said those responsible must face the full might of the law. The department's spokesperson, Collen Msibi, said in a meeting on April 25 that Creecy and taxi industry leaders had unanimously denounced violence in the industry. Msibi said the meeting also agreed on the formation of a task team between the national and provincial departments of transport to fast-track the process of digitisation of the issuing of operating licences to resolve route encroachments in the industry, which is the main cause of taxi violence. 'The taxi industry leadership was also requested to reflect on this matter and make tangible proposals to the government on the way forward,' he said. He said the department was implementing the National Land Transport Information System, which will, among other things, ensure that the operating licences are linked to the eNATIS system to eliminate the unlawful usage of one operating licence for more than one vehicle. Msibi said the National Land Transport Amendment Act and the Transport Appeal Tribunal Amendment Act were signed into law on June 30. 'The regulations have been approved and await the second official language translation for gazetting and implementation of the amendment act. This will usher in a new era in the regulation of the e-hailing services,' he said. [BREAKING] One minibus taxi torched in Pimville near Maponya Mall in Soweto. Tensions are high in the area after a deadly attack on e-hailing drivers. #Newzroom405 — Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) August 14, 2025 Meanwhile, the South African Metered Taxi and E-Hailing Association (Samtea) in Gauteng has also condemned the incident. The association has welcomed the MEC for roads and transport's crisis committee, which it said brings together all stakeholders in the public transport value chain. 'This inclusive platform is vital to restoring peace, clarity and stability in the sector,' said Samtea chair Sibongiseni Shange. Explaining the structure, Shange said Santaco was the apex council representing all public transport modes — minibus taxis, metered taxis, e-hailing, and scholar and cross-border transport — under one constitution aligned with the supreme law. He said SAMTEA represents metered taxi and e-hailing operators within this framework. 'We caution that actions by individual operators — legal or illegal — can distort public perceptions, unfairly painting the entire sector as criminal. Criminal syndicates exploit policy gaps, unemployment and exclusionary technologies to infiltrate this essential service,' he said. The association is calling for the protection of workers and passengers through visible policing and strict law enforcement. It also urges the inclusive integration of technology without displacing licensed operators, and calls for support for those who invest personal capital to serve the public, often without receiving any state subsidies. The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in Gauteng urged the public to avoid speculation or unfounded accusations that, it says, automatically place the taxi industry at fault. 'Such assumptions not only harm the reputation of the industry but also undermine due process. We call on all to respect the work of law enforcement and allow the police to conduct thorough investigations into the matter,' said Santaco provincial secretary Graham Fritz.
