MTHATHA, Eastern Cape — A deepening Mthatha taxi dispute has prompted desperate fleet owners to demand urgent action from the Eastern Cape transport department, citing a severe breakdown in local governance and escalating safety risks. Operators within the region are pleading for provincial authorities to step in, arguing that current association leaders have entirely failed to resolve the crippling operational issues that sparked widespread demonstrations on Wednesday.
Gathering outside the main rank offices, protesting drivers and owners laid out a comprehensive list of grievances. They allege that the local taxi association is plagued by systemic corruption, pointing to the collection of bogus fees, arbitrary financial deductions, and ongoing disputes over driver and permit renewals. Beyond financial exploitation, the operators highlighted severe victimization and a fiercely contested, allegedly undemocratic election process that installed the current leadership.
The current unrest echoes a dark period in 2018, when internal conflicts and violence forced the closure of several local hubs, notably the Mamela taxi rank. However, the current climate is reportedly far more lethal. Protesters made the chilling allegation that eight members have been killed simply for opposing the current chairperson and advocating for a change in leadership. The volatility of the situation recently necessitated the deployment of the National Intervention Unit (NIU) to the association’s offices following a physical altercation involving the chairman.
The human cost of this governance failure was articulated by a Former Mamela Subrank Executive, acting as a spokesperson for the aggrieved drivers. Having relied on the taxi industry for most of her life, she revealed that her own fleet was grounded and barred from operating the moment she began raising concerns about the association’s direction. She described a terrifying environment rife with extortion, detailing multiple confrontations at gunpoint that ultimately forced her to involve the police for her own protection.
Despite the severity of these claims, operators feel they are hitting a bureaucratic wall. A Spokesperson for the Association Secretary reportedly struggled to provide specifics or outline actionable steps regarding the pending safety and operational cases. Meanwhile, Spokespersons from the Provincial Safety and Transport Departments are facing intense scrutiny. Operators claim the department previously turned a blind eye to their warnings and are now insisting that provincial officials stop dismissing their pleas and formally escalate the matter to a general council for a binding resolution.
As the standoff continues, the turmoil in Mthatha serves as a stark microcosm of a much larger regional crisis. Across the broader Eastern Cape, the minibus industry remains deeply entangled in fierce battles over leadership, systemic governance failures, and pervasive violence, leaving both commuters and operators waiting for a return to stability.
