PRETORIA, GAUTENG — As anti-immigration protests gain momentum across the country, the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) is raising the alarm over potential cross-border retaliation. The organization’s leadership fears that unchecked hostility toward undocumented migrants could severely damage the nation’s reputation and jeopardize the safety of the taxi industry operating throughout the broader SADC region.
Rebecca Phala, the spokesperson for the council, confirmed that the transport sector is closely monitoring the unfolding demonstrations. She expressed gratitude for the President’s recent directive placing law enforcement on high alert to maintain public order. However, to quell mounting speculation, Phala made it explicitly clear that the transport sector will not be participating in the mass action aimed at deporting undocumented individuals. She stressed that South Africans must exercise their rights strictly within legal boundaries, emphasizing that the country does not harbor Afrophobic sentiments and must maintain peaceful coexistence with the rest of the continent.
The dialogue shifted to the historical conduct of the sector when the interviewer referenced past instances of alleged lawlessness, specifically highlighting a confrontation in Mpumalanga where taxi leaders threatened private motorists who were offering lifts to commuters. While the interviewer later retracted the suggestion that these actions represented an official organizational policy, Phala firmly distanced the council from the rogue behavior of a few. She reiterated that the council, established in 2001, strictly adheres to the national constitution and actively condemns criminal elements within its ranks.
To illustrate the council’s commitment to accountability, Phala pointed to recent internal disciplinary hearings held in the North West province. She also highlighted ongoing educational initiatives, including participation in road safety campaigns and specialized customer service training for rank-and-file workers. According to Phala, when illegal activities are identified, they are treated as isolated individual offenses rather than systemic organizational failures, and victims are always encouraged to involve the police.
Finally, the discussion turned to the frequent court appearances of senior council figures in support of Joe ‘Ferrari’ Sibanyoni, a prominent operator facing severe criminal charges. When pressed on whether this visible support creates a perception of “guilty by association,” Phala drew a definitive line between personal relationships and official duties. She explained that the leaders attend the hearings purely as private individuals and colleagues of the accused, rather than acting under the official mandate of the council.
Dismissing criticisms of the leadership’s court attendance as baseless “kangaroo court” logic, Phala argued that it is unreasonable to expect the organization to police the private, personal choices of its members outside of their formal roles. She maintained that critics and the public must clearly separate individual actions from the official, organizational positions communicated by the council.