Mr Bongani Msomi
UDM Secretary General
The United Democratic Movement would like to applaud its President, Mr Bantu Holomisa, and SAFTU’s Secretary General, Mr Zwelinzima Vavi, for the sterling job they have conducted in the Western Cape between the warring taxi associations.
This has not been an easy task as South Africans, especially Western Cape residents who witnessed the failure of both the Minister for Transport, Mr Fikile Mbalula, and the MEC for Transport in Western Cape, Mr Daylin Mitchell, in brokering peace. Mr Mbalula went to Cape Town to conduct his “influencer” duties, no leadership was provided, just mere talks and pictures.
The African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) which is the governing party in Western Cape continue to fail South Africans in the province. This is quite evident that the country is not safe in their hands. The ruling party leaders need to stop with their celebrity tendencies and peacock parading. If they cannot resolve a community matter that involves most of their voters, that simply means they would never be able to resolve bigger matters like what the country has gone through in the past few weeks of the unprecedented civil unrest in democratic South Africa.
Commuters and innocent bus drivers were in the crossfire, ducking bullets during this taxi violence, most of them couldn’t report for work including our own UDM support staff members in the Western Cape.
The Western Cape MEC of Transport Daylin Mitchell cannot be extolled for closing the Bellville/Paarl route for two months because this was not a solution for the involved associations which were prepared to sit around the Daylin Mitchell table in seeking a settlement.
It had to take the UDM and SAFTU leadership to come up with a practical plan acceptable to both taxi associations. As we speak, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The UDM has received positive feedback from Cape Town, on all our social media platforms and calls to our National Office.
The organisation would like to take this opportunity to thank CODETA and CATA for their willingness to listen and accept the settlement proposal proposed by our leadership. This is an indication that if we join hands together, we can be able to build a dignified, prosperous South Africa for all.
Issued by:
Mr Bongani Msomi
UDM Secretary General
