‘Decentralising government patronage should end power-struggles’

Government must allocate its financial resources at regional level to back up the administrative work of the taxi industry and stop giving it to a central body, KZN Transport Minister, Mr S’bu Ndebele instructed.

Mr Ndebele said he regretted the new tendency on the part of the taxi industry to pull each down, especially those who were directly responsible for government patronage aimed at attending to the day-to-day running of the industry’s provincial structure known as the KwaZulu Natal Taxi Council (KwaNataco).

KwaNataco has of late been at the receiving end of criticism that because of the financial support it enjoys from government, its officials were no longer acting in the interests of the taxi industry.

Mr Ndebele pointed out the Department of Transport had set aside a budget of R5,3 million in KZN to assist the associations and regions.

"Those who are not in elected structures complain that those who have been elected are selling out, and that new people must come in to replace them. That is why we have decided that let that money move out of the Department of Transport straight to regional structures," he added.

Ndebele said that if taxi operators had to attend a conference, they would claim their travelling expenses from their respective regions. Then there won’t be anyone accusing others of receiving bribes from government to be quiet about issues needing to be taken up with government.

Mr Ndebele warned: "And there is a question of representation. As long as you don’t have proper representation in the sense that is accepted and not disputed by the industry itself, you have confused representation."

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