Gauteng taxi violence inquiry requests more time
There has been a request for the term of the commission of inquiry into taxi violence in Gauteng to be extended by four to five months to enable it to complete its work after delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commission chair, justice Jeremiah Shongwe, said it still needs to hear evidence from a number of witnesses for it to make its findings on the causes of and remedies to taxi violence in the province.
Among the witnesses yet to come before the commission are officials from the City of Johannesburg, the police, national department of transport, SA Taxi, which funds the minibusses, Gobodo Group, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Absa, the National Prosecuting Authority, auditor-general, victims of taxi violence, Road Traffic Management Corporation and former chair of the portfolio committee on transport, Jacob Khawe.
Khawe, who is now the provincial secretary of the ANC, chaired an inquiry that looked into the causes of taxi violence in the province a few years ago.
“As you can see the commission still has a lot of work to do. However, we hope to complete the public hearings within the next four to five months and thereafter have time to prepare the report,” Shongwe said.
The commission was established by premier David Makhura last year to investigate the persisting taxi violence in the province.
It started its work on December 5, went into recess for the Christmas break and resumed its work in January. But it had to stop at the end of March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It has heard evidence from Gauteng MEC for transport Jacob Mamabolo, chair of the SA National Taxi Council in Gauteng, Johannes Mkonza, and the Gauteng National Taxi Association. There were also other officials from the department of transport who gave evidence before the commission.
Provincial government spokesperson Thabo Masebe confirmed that Makhura has received the request for an extension.
Taxi violence has been a problem in Gauteng for years. It has hampered the growth of the taxi industry and left many homes without fathers and mothers. It is one of the issues that transport minister Fikile Mbalula wants to eliminate through his plans to modernise the taxi industry.
-Sowetan
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