NDEBELE STRONGLY CONDEMNS TAXI OPERATOR'S KILLING

 The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport S'bu Ndebele has strongly condemned the killing of the chairperson of the Mandeni Sundumbili Taxi Association earlier today. 

The MEC said the continuing taxi violence does not augur well for the taxi industry in general and has to stop. 

'We are trying to assist the taxi trade to stabilise so that this big industry can thrive in order to boost the economy. This business will not thrive in the midst of violence. Our condolences go to his family and relations,' Mr Ndebele said. 

According to witnesses Mr A E Nxumalo was allegedly shot at close range with a 9mm by an unknown gunman in the Kwasithebe industrial area. 

Meanwhile, the crusade to clean up the public transport sector and curb taxi violence in KwaZulu-Natal is continuing. The KZN DoT's elite Public Transport Enforcement Unit (PTEU) today had an operation in Underberg (between Kokstad and Ixopo) in Southern KZN. 

Two arrests were made and six taxis were impounded in this small town. The arrested are a truck driver displaying a false licence disc on his vehicle and a bus driver operating without a permit. The six taxis were impounded as they were operating without permits. Twenty taxis were charged for unroadworthy vehicles. 

The PTEU has had 11 days of operation in various parts of the province. The first operation was in the KwaDukuza/Stanger area on the 12th August 2002, with the most recent being today's in Underberg. 

'Word has gotten out that if you operate without a permit and do so with an unroadworthy vehicle you will land in trouble with the PTEU. We will pity you,' said MEC Ndebele. 

The MEC said the taxi operators had asked for this unit to be set up and the legal operators are very happy with the new component.  

The division was constituted to prevent taxi violence in the province. In this process a lot of lives will be saved _ something of great concern to the Department of Transport. Since the inception of the PTEU, incidents of taxi violence have greatly decreased. 

'We are happy that the police are seeing the usefulness of this unit as it prevents this kind of crime, giving them more time to deal with other forms of serious crimes. Operation Shanela will continue to clean up across the whole province,' said Mr Ndebele. 

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