The road ahead for SA’s minibus taxi industry

Guest: Dr Siyabulela Fobosi | Senior researcher at the UNESCO 'Oliver Tambo' Chair of Human Rights at the University of Fort Hare

Africa Melane speaks to Dr Siyabulela Fobosi on the history, challenges, and future of South Africa’s minibus taxi industry.

 

Early Breakfast with Africa Melane is 702’s and CapeTalk’s early morning talk show. Experienced broadcaster Africa Melane brings you the early morning news, sports, business, and interviews politicians and analysts to help make sense of the world. He also enjoys chatting to guests in the lifestyle sphere and the Arts. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch-up and listen.

Thank you for listening to this podcast from Early Breakfast with Africa Melane

 

For more about the show click  https://buff.ly/XHry7eQ and find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/XJ10LBU

Listen live on weekdays between 04:00 and 06:00 (SA Time) to the Early Breakfast with Africa Melane broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3N

Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc

Follow us on social media:

702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702
702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702
702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/
702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702
702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702

CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk
CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk
CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk
CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You with Cape Talk. This is Africa Milani on Early Breakfast.
All right, let's turn our attention out to the taxi
industry one more time this week. The leadership of Santako
holding a media conference yesterday. They are not taking responsibility
for the killing of an ehaling driver at mponner Mall

(00:20):
last week, but they did ask for prayers because of
criminal elements that are infiltrating the various member associations as
Santako will be transporting the remains of the deceased from
how Teng to Kwasu Natal when the family is ready
to do so. Yesterday also saw ehaling drivers marching to

(00:41):
the provincial officers wanting better regulation and obviously safety of
not only themselves but their passengers as well. Doctor Ciabulela
Christopher Forbossi is from the University of Forte. He occupies
the UNESCO oliver Tambo Chair for Human Rights and is
a senior researcher there Sebila L very good morning and
welcome to the show.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Good morning Africa and good Monogur listeners. Thank you for everyone.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
There's an appreciation that the minibus taxi sector continues to
transport the overwhelming majority of commuters in the morning and
in the afternoon, and there are actually a wonderful provider
of public transport right where metrorail is not able to
do so, where the formal bus system is also not

(01:27):
able to do so. But do we have to live
with the levels of criminality that this sector comes with, right, thank.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
You, thank you so much. As just put it, the
industry plays a very important role, you know, in the
public sector, and we can't continue living with the current challenges,
you know, which include, you know, your un regulated operations,

(01:56):
your allegations of corruption in Southeastance, the a licensed drivers
some of them, and the dispute the violence there, you know,
especially the violence of conflict with inhaling services, which are
also a major problem, you know, and these conflicts have

(02:18):
resulted in deadly consequences, you know, as say in in
in the recent killing of the last which is a
problem at one point or more. You know. It's looks
to the issues of regulations that you know, we're still
need to be addressed, yes, so that the issuers can
can compete it effectively and efficiently.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
There appears to be an appreciation that government is almost
always reactive to the taxi industry as opposed to proactive.
They they're not in charge, to put it frankly, and
I imagine they're not because and like as the modes
of public transport, there isn't a subsidy system in a

(03:03):
formalized manner that allows government then to I suppose have
a little bit more dictation as to what happens and how.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Right, look, look Africa, the government has a historically you know,
being reactive, as you just said, you know, rather than
proactive you know, in addressing the progms in the industry.
Right and that is what I call as a result
of lack of political will and the government strategic selectivity.

(03:35):
You know, I'm having hindered progress in transfersing the industry.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
You know.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
By strategic selectivity, I mean I'm being being selective in
terms of, you know, addressing the problems in the public
service sector and being selective in terms of you know,
I'm only looking at the more formalized you know, public
terms of sector, which is in a form of US

(04:00):
and trades, you know. So they say it has failed
to regulate to the industry due to lack of engagement
with different sectors you know, and the industry or the
government you know, has actually been more focused in terms
of actually, you know, I'm making sure that the passes,

(04:22):
the trades are actually operating you know, accordingly, and are
subsidized as well. You know, of course, you know, it's
a long way in terms of actually making sure that
the industry subsidized, because the industry must also play part
in that recard.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
So how do we chart a way forward, How do
we rest control of the mini pase taxi sector in particular,
support them sufficiently in order for them to continue providing
what is a vital service to South Africans.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
Right then, you think, I think, Look, one of the
things that needs to be done from the government side
is making sure that there's the stricter you know, I'm
I'm the strong rather you know, oversize you know, and

(05:19):
and and and the work custoblervation or make a welcome
operation to address the exploration of workers you know, and
the government failure I think to enforce you know, labor
laws you know, continue to pursue pervisually the cycle of
of of of exploration, you know, which is a problem

(05:40):
you know, and and actually you know also the weaker,
the weaker regulation, the one the lack of monitoring it
that some of the roots, you know, continue to prefigure
the problems because at the moment problems I established that
a particular route where there's there's actually violence, you know,

(06:01):
and this mostly happens in what I will call look
at us, you know, where they see that there's a
lot of money. So so then there needs to be
stronger i'm law enforcement there and the problems of labor
explanation need to be addressed so that workers I'm actually
you know, any living ways you know, and and actually

(06:23):
then the one that relates to you know, to ehaling,
there needs to be stronger regulation there as well, such
that you know, all the you know, opperators, the drivers
and all the owners of ehaling sources have to have
operating licenses to actually travel on that particular you know,

(06:46):
that's at create problem as well.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
See Blen, I thank you very much indeed for your insights.
It is an important sector that we need for the
public transportation sort of uses by commuters who do not
have the privilege of owning their own vehicle or perhaps
who are choosing to make use of public transport. But
we cannot live under the conditions that we continue to

(07:11):
live in. If you are reliant on not only the
manipus sector mini taxipus sector, but rather other sectors as well. Anyway,
doctor Ciabulela Forbossi is at the University of Forte. He
occupies the UNSCO oliver Tambocheir for Human Rights and his
senior researcher then