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It is said that police weapons are being used in the taxi violence.
- On Thursday, a commission of inquiry published a 120-page report on taxi violence in Gauteng.
- The report highlighted police involvement, as well as regulatory and licensing issues in the industry.
- Police Minister Bheki Cele’s office said they have yet to study the report.
The commission of inquiry into taxi violence in Gauteng found that, in some cases, firearms issued by the police were used in the commission of taxi-related violence, involving the involvement of law enforcement agencies. in the ongoing violence.
On Thursday, Gauteng Transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo briefed the media on some of the findings of the commission headed by Judge Jeremiah Shongwe.
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Some of the key findings regarding law enforcement officials, such as the South African Police Service, according to the 120-page report, reinforced notions that officers were not just involved in taxi violence in the province, but also that some were beneficiaries of the industry.
“This opinion has been reinforced by the fact that in some of the incidents of violence, rifles and pistols issued by the state were used and some of them were confiscated from the suspects.
“There are also numerous examples where industry criminals have been able to avoid arrest due to a warning that could only come from elements of law enforcement agencies who are co-conspirators,” the report reads. The commission also found allegations from some police officers with interests in the taxi industry.
Allegations
Commission member Hlula Msimang said that in some cases these accusations were made by senior officials in the taxi industry and that her findings suggested that law enforcement officials with interests in the industry did so through third parties.
“Taxi owners are registered in the Operational License Management System (OLAS) and Records Management System (RAS), and comparing all employees against the lists of the RAS and OLAS systems should be the first logical exercise to determine which law enforcement employees are owners, “Msimang said. The commission said it had only heard of two cases in which police and the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) had attempted to investigate allegations against its members.
“In both cases, these investigations have stalled for reasons that were not communicated to the commission.”
Msimang said that, in their interaction with law enforcement, they were very frank about their shortcomings when it came to dealing with the taxi violence in the province.
“All of them admitted at the outset that they had not been up to the task in relation to issues related to violence in taxis. None of them told us that ‘we are doing a good job’. They all admitted that they could do better.
“Everyone came here and said they had deficiencies and they understood. They were all very direct in telling us what those deficiencies were,” he said. According to Mamabolo, there are currently 505 cases related to taxi violence in the province. Of concern to the MEC, which was part of the report’s key findings, was the structuring of the industry, licensing, and crimes such as murders and assassination attempts.
Key results
- The Provincial Regulatory Entity / Entities (PRE) does not adequately screen applicants for criminal records, pending cases, and other matters that must be considered prior to applying for an operating license or transferring an existing license to a new Operator.
- The PRE generally does not undertake to monitor compliance after issuing operating licenses. The problem has been attributed to the absence of inspectors as well as the inadequate structure of the PRE and the GDRT.
- As far as planning authorities are concerned, only two Comprehensive Integrated Transportation Plans (CITPs) were presented to the Commission, but they did not seem adequate to help planning authorities to guide regulators during applications for the licensing process. of operation.
Regarding criminal complaints such as murders, the MEC said: “Although there are cases of positive cooperation, there have also been cases in which prosecutors have been forced not to prosecute or drop charges due to lack of cooperation from officers. research.. “
Recommendations for the Department of Transportation
- The development of the Regulation on surveillance and monitoring of public transport by the PRE.
- The development of Regulations on the rationalization of public transport services in terms of article 39 (1) of the NLTA.
- The development of a roadmap for the Minibus Taxi Type Services subsidy.
Law enforcement recommendations
- All traffic law enforcement agencies in Gauteng (including municipal police services) have a legal mandate to enforce the provisions of the NLTA and must do so without delay.
- Members of the various committees of mayors responsible for these agencies and both the MEC for GDRT and MEC for GDCS should ensure that these bodies establish performance goals related to the implementation of the NLTA in their annual plans. In the case of Metro Police Departments, the Provincial Commissioner must ensure that the annual plans reflect the performance objectives related to the NLTA before they are approved.
- All municipal and metropolitan traffic police officers are required to take refresher courses on the NLTA so that they become familiar with its provisions and can carry out law enforcement as needed.
- Whenever possible and appropriate, specialized Units should be created whose responsibility is solely the police public transport concentrating on the Minibus Taxi Type Service Industry to put an end to the violence.
Other recommendations included:
Other recommendations
- The elimination of Business Associations from Minibus Taxi Service operations, as well as the corporatization of operations, should help eliminate conflicts associated with the industry.
- There is a need for a wide range of training to assist the minibus taxi service industry. Training should include customer service, governance, appreciation, and diversity management. In addition, various skills must also be presented that will facilitate the entry of the Industry throughout the value chain.
- Law enforcement agencies should be as comprehensive as possible in including multidisciplinary teams investigating taxi-related violence. This is because the Commission learned of the fact that the associations pay some hitmen by allowing them to operate on certain routes instead of being paid only in cash.
Mamabolo said they would be working on a plan to implement the recommendations, while the South African National Taxi Council of Gauteng (Santaco) said they were still studying the report before commenting on the matter.
Meanwhile, Police Ministry spokesman Lirandzu Themba said: “The minister has been informed of the report and as it is extensive, he should review it and take action when there is a police need.”
