Mahikeng’s Bophirima Long and Local Distance Taxi Association (BOLDTA) has assured commuters and learners that operations will return to normal on Tuesday morning after an agreement was reached with the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management to address their grievances.
Minibus taxi services were disrupted on Monday morning, leaving learning and teaching at several schools in Mahikeng affected due to a taxi dispute between SANTACO-affiliated BOLDTA operators, illegal operators, and so-called 4-plus-1 seater minibuses operating on their routes.
Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, BOLDTA Chairperson Mooketsi Sekei said the decision to disrupt services and blockade all entrances and exits to the Mahikeng CBD was an attempt to draw the attention of government authorities.
“We indeed succeeded because it seems that disruption is the only language our government understands.
Community Safety and Transport Management MEC Wessels Morweng responded swiftly, and we handed over our memorandum of demands to him.
He promised to address our grievances, and we gave him the benefit of the doubt because we trust him,” said Sekei.
The chairperson expressed confidence in the MEC’s intervention.
“We have been calling on government and law enforcement agencies to assist us in removing these illegal minibus operators from our routes since 2005, but our requests have been ignored.
I am pleased that there is now a promise from the MEC to address this challenge.
This is something that could have been resolved long ago to avoid these disruptions,” added Sekei.
BOLDTA also expressed sincere regret to commuters for disrupting their daily routines and affecting the schooling programme.
“We unreservedly apologise to our customers, who are often the victims of these decisions due to the unresponsiveness of government.
We promise that our services will resume on Tuesday morning without any disruptions.
We fully appreciate the impact these decisions have, particularly on our passengers who support our businesses daily, and for that, we are truly sorry,” pleaded Sekei.
Meanwhile, Education MEC Viola Motsumi expressed optimism that learners would be able to return to school successfully on Tuesday, adding that she had received an undertaking from Morweng.
Motsumi also expressed concern for candidates currently writing the May/June examinations.
“On behalf of the department, I am optimistic that teaching and learning will proceed normally from Tuesday.
We have received confirmation that learners will be able to return to school tomorrow.
As a department, we remain deeply concerned about the Second Chance Matric Programme candidates currently writing their May/June examinations,” said Motsumi.
