Pretoria, Gauteng — As a looming ultimatum over operating licence delays threatens to disrupt public transport, the Gauteng taxi dispute has reached a critical juncture. Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has firmly pushed back against claims of a fractured relationship with taxi leadership, setting the stage for high-stakes negotiations to resolve the impasse.
Despite the taxi industry’s assertion that relations have completely broken down, Diale-Tlabela maintains that structured, quarterly engagements remain intact, noting her last formal sit-down with leadership occurred on May 11. With the industry issuing a six-day ultimatum that could lead to a march, the MEC expressed hope that the strike will be avoided. The current friction, she explained, stems from the industry’s accusation that she bypassed established protocols by engaging directly with grassroots operators. Defending her mandate, the MEC emphasized her constitutional duty to serve both the broader public and individual operators, a right she exercised by launching long-planned roadshows to assess the two-decade-old taxi recapitalization program firsthand.
During these grassroots visits, which have drawn crowds of up to 150 operators per association, the MEC uncovered critical gaps. For instance, local operators requested that the vehicle scrapping model be updated to include vehicles from 2006 onwards—a concern never raised in formal leadership structures. Furthermore, Diale-Tlabela highlighted her recent probe into the Transport Taxi Industry Trust. She demanded a comprehensive report detailing fund allocations and program outcomes, specifically citing technical challenges with the government-backed Shasha app that she had warned them about prior to its launch.
The distribution of operating licences remains the most volatile flashpoint. After a crisis committee successfully cleared a massive backlog and resumed issuing licences last year, a new controversy emerged. The MEC revealed that after she symbolically handed over the first batch and departed, industry leaders complained that departmental officials were allegedly withholding the physical documents to extort R500 bribes, locally known as “barbaraka.”
To combat this internal syndicate, Diale-Tlabela scrapped front-desk collections. She now personally issues licences at regional ceremonies across Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and other hubs. This hands-on approach, she noted, has already exposed fraudulent applications from individuals with no ties to the Gauteng taxi sector and helps eliminate “ghost memberships” by allowing associations to visually verify their own ranks during the handover events.
Beyond administrative reforms, the provincial government is tackling the severe violence and fatalities plaguing the sector. Diale-Tlabela confirmed that the President and the Premier are actively engaged, with a specialized task team (PKTT) and provincial joint operations focusing heavily on eradicating taxi-related killings. She also stressed the need for the industry to clean up its act regarding the bullying and harassment of competing transport modes, specifically e-hailing services. Acknowledging that financial institutions view the taxi sector as high-risk, she urged the industry to embrace formalization to ensure long-term sustainability and shift negative societal perceptions.
Ahead of the special 9:00 AM meeting requested by taxi leadership, the MEC stated her primary objective is to listen and clarify the boundaries of their partnership. She made it clear that while the government respects the taxi industry as a vital business entity, it will not engage in “co-governing.” Diale-Tlabela issued a stern warning against the use of ultimatums and strike threats, cautioning that such tactics not only damage the provincial economy but also permanently alienate commuters who will simply switch to alternative transport networks.
