MEDIA STATEMENT

KWAZULU-NATAL MEC FOR TRANSPORT, MR S'BU NDEBELE, HAS COMMENDED OFFICIALS FOR DECISIVE ACTION IN TAXI-RELATED KILLINGS

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Mr S'bu Ndebele, has condemned the recent taxi-related killings at the Pavilion shopping complex in Westville and surrounding areas yesterday, which left a taxi driver dead, and another wounded.

According to MEC Ndebele, these isolated acts are committed by certain elements involved in this conflict and these rogue elements are definitely not acting in the interest of the entire membership and of course the leadership of the associations concerned.

MEC Ndebele has praised the leadership of the rival taxi associations for being committed to solving this matter through negotiations. "However, what worries us is that there are still certain elements who still believe that the only way to solve taxi problems is through the barrel of the gun. I have instructed officials in my department to deal with this matter and they are already engaged in negotiations. Therefore, we will not allow such elements to compromise the rule of law. Police management in this province has assured us that they will definitely take appropriate steps to apprehend these culprits", Mr Ndebele said.

Mr Ndebele has also commended justice officials who, in recent months, are also trying to put an end to this scourge of violence by handing down appropriate sentences for taxi-related murders.

"We also wish to make particular mention of the decisive action taken by the general manager of the Pavilion shopping centre, Mr Savvas Koutoufides. Mr Koutoufides's decision to suspend both associations from utilising the centre and to take a firm stand against a potentially explosive situation is highly commendable. We urge other role-players in the taxi industry in the province to follow this example, where the lives of customers take precedence and not to allow business to continue where the blood of our people is being spilt," Mr Ndebele said.

We have made major strides in containing conflict situations in this province and we are determined in closing this chapter of taxi violence. We are not prepared to allow any person or group of persons who are trying to scuttle this, to succeed.

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