Pimville came to a standstill when angry residents, who have vowed to keep Maponya Mall shut for seven days until the mall’s management and provincial government attend to their demands, turned their anger towards taxis operating in the township on Thursday.

As a result, one taxi was burnt down as community members retaliated to the torching of two e-hailing vehicles, where one driver was shot dead and burnt inside his vehicle on Wednesday, while two of his colleagues were injured after a group of unknown men armed with guns descended on the mall.

According to preliminary reports, four heavily armed men approached the driver and opened fire before subsequently setting the vehicle ablaze.

It is also revealed that a nearby e-hailing vehicle also became a target; fortunately, its driver managed to flee, although the vehicle too succumbed to flames. 

Speaking outside the mall, community representative Keabetswe Maleba said the community decided to keep the mall closed as they mourn the driver’s death.

“We want to address our issues with the management of Maponya. We are saying as the community that this problem did not start now, but started in 2023. This was supposed to be addressed then, when cars were torched in this mall.

“Today, we are addressing the community because someone has died and cars have been torched… We as black people mourn for no less than seven days when one of us has died. Therefore, we are unapologetic that we will keep this mall closed for seven days because someone has died. So, Maponya Mall must shut down for seven days,” he said.

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Meanwhile, the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), through its spokesperson, Rebecca Phala, has called on the government to act swiftly in finalising and implementing the amended National Land Transport Act (NLTA) regulations, more than a year after the Act was amended in May 2024.

“This regulatory vacuum has created an environment where many e-hailing operators are operating without government-authorised permits. The current structure of e-hailing platforms does not enforce the requirement for these permits, leading to a flood of unregulated operators within the public transport space. This unrestrained influx is not only causing congestion in the sector but also posing serious safety threats to commuters,” she said.

As a result, Phala said there has been a disturbing rise in reports of hijackings, abductions, sexual harassment, and other violent crimes, all linked to the unchecked operation of e-hailing services under the current legal loopholes.

“As the apex body representing various modes of public transport in South Africa, SANTACO cannot remain silent. We strongly urge the government to expedite the implementation of the revised NLTA regulations and tighten enforcement mechanisms to protect both operators and passengers,” she added.

Attempts to get the community to listen to the MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, who held talks with certain stakeholders, proved futile as the community told the MEC  that they do not recognise the organisations and leaders she had been in consultation with.

However, the MEC promised to resolve the challenges faced by the community, saying their issues have been heard, adding that commuters have the right to choose their preferred mode of transport.

“Your issues have been registered. We have been in a meeting with taxi operators, e-hailing organisations, councillors, and community leaders… As the government of Gauteng, we told the taxi industry that the people of Soweto have the right to choose the mode of transport they want to use,” she stated.

The owner of the taxi, who did not want to be named, decried the torching of his vehicle, saying: “I am hurt by what has happened, as I do not know why my taxi was burnt like this. What worries me is that there are police officers around the area, yet my taxi was torched in their presence. How can there be any peace after such a senseless act?”

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za

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