Pietermaritzburg - The KwaZulu-Natal Cabinet has applauded the provincial taxi industry for the gains it has made in ending the violence that has plagued the industry. "This is a breath of fresh air," said KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele. "Leadership has been a problem in the taxi industry and although there will still be pockets of problems; you have generally brought about peace and stability in the industry. This gives us a lot of hope."
This followed a presentation by the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) to Cabinet's ordinary weekly meeting in Pietermaritzburg, Wednesday. Further to this, Cabinet lauded the professionalism the industry was displaying in terms of new business ventures. The delegation which was led by SANTACO President Jabulani Mthembu emphasised that the taxi industry was undergoing restructuring in order to transform itself into transport operators rather than taxi operators.
This would allow the industry to participate fully in providing public service transportation in the build-up, during and beyond the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.
Mr Mthembu said the industry was also looking into providing specialised transportation for people with disabilities that would include suitable facilities at taxi ranks. The industry would also provide transportation to the new airport being constructed at La Mercy in Durban.
In addition, a programme was being developed to introduce behavioural change among drivers to make them permanent employees of the industry and not just casual workers in individual taxi associations.
Mr Mthembu said this programme would also be gender-sensitive.
Cabinet also received a progress report on the new Legislature and Government Precinct. Cabinet was told that requests for proposals for the construction of the multi-million rand complex to be located at Townhill in Pietermaritzburg would soon be issued. A report was also presented to Cabinet from the Provincial Treasury on the Province's Mid-Term Budget Performance.
Cabinet has subsequently also approved a name change for the Department of Social Welfare and Population Development to be announced on Thursday. A task team to drive the 2010 project was also announced during the meeting, and a 2010 Provincial Indaba will take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre on 7 and 8 November 2007. - BuaNews
The Sun City AGM made aggressive “business shift” decisions that are seen to reposition the present outlook of the taxi business in the transport sector. The presentations and reports made by the President, the Secretary General and the Managing Director of SANTACO Trading, have all served to direct this shift and trigger debates on how the taxi industry can best be profitable. The AGM commissions further interrogated these views under the Corporatisation, Labour, Gender and Youth, Constitution, Transport policy and Legislation groups.
These decisions now inform and guide the next three years of SANTACO as the strategy planning and implementation phase of the taxi industry. This time driven phase is definitely set design the outlook of the taxi industry in the next elections in 2010. Since this will be benchmarked on an annual basis, this now pushes the leadership to setup administrative arms that would ensure serious project management throughout.
Membership development improved
A drive to ease membership development problems and frustrations throughout the country reached its milestone when the first phase of the taxi corporatisation strategy which included the installation of computer systems was rolled out in provinces. The computer systems enable the member to register with SANTACO and also enable such a member to apply for vehicle financing without going the national office route. This project has also eased huge paperwork that the central office had to manage on a daily basis from all the nine provinces and rather rests such a responsibility with the provinces. Though these activities will be done at provincial levels, the system is however linked to the nerve centre of SANTACO that will reconcile and manage the national data.
The Women Desk launch
The national launch of the Women Desk will be in November 2007. This will be preceded by the formation and launch of such Desks in provinces to pave way for this national event. The call to expedite this launch reached its crescendo when women during the provincial visits quoted the AGM resolution on this project and expressed their more-than-ever readiness for its advent. The President of SANTACO also underlined this and further encouraged women operators to begin to show their long-needed role in the taxi business. The President further appealed to SANTACO structures to embrace the realization of Women Desks as a huge contribution to the principle vision of SANTACO in this process of change.
Though the taxi industry has in its own unique way contributed to the socio economy of the country, activities of the Women Desk will enhance and further spread its role in clearly defined community development programmes. The Office of the Secretary General will communicate and distribute the founding document to the provinces that would serve as guidance on the formulation of these structures. The document defines these structures mainly as a platform to exclusively advance women operator interests and chiefly SANTACO objectives and vision statement.