TRANSPORT MINISTER Fikile Mbalula has lashed out at the taxi operators for rejecting government’s R1.135 billion relief package, saying their decision to resort to a shutdown on Monday was rather ‘unfortunate’ and ‘counterproductive’.
The taxi associations said over the weekend that the relief package offered to the industry by government was not enough and described it as a ‘slap in the face’.
Mbalula, however, put his foot down on Sunday, saying that the reality is that government has no more money available to offer the taxi industry.
“We have noted with concern the announcement by the Gauteng Provincial arm of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) of a shutdown on Monday, as a result of their objection to the Taxi Relief Support we announced on Friday. The reality is that there is no money available beyond what the government has offered,” said Mbalula.
“We find this action rather unfortunate and counterproductive. Resorting to shutting down services as an expression of disagreement with the quantum of the amount the government is offering the industry as relief support – does nothing for the industry. A service shutdown will not only negatively affect the working class but will worsen the devastation of the industry.
He said the decision to avail R1.135 billion to the taxi industry as relief support was not an easy one.
Government’s relief support will focus on legal taxi operators with valid operating licenses.
“We literally had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to reach this amount, because we believe the taxi industry is deserving of support as the largest mover of our people,” he said.
Mbalula’s media briefing on Sunday follows a special INMEC meeting to deliberate on the Taxi Relief Support and the threat of a shutdown by SANTACO in Gauteng. The meeting was attended by the MECs, Executive Mayors of eThekwini and Ekurhuleni, as well as MMCs from Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay and the Buffalo City.
“This is not time for war. There is no need for a shutdown. The economy is falling apart,” said Mbalula.
(Compiled by Inside Politics staff)
