Taxi violence crisis: MEC Diale-Tlabela unveils bold plan to shut down Soweto ranks

Taxi Commuter Martha Mokgatle whi says she is fed up with crimes happening in taxis where passengers are robbed of their belongings. (Photo: Bheki Simelane)

By Bheki C. Simelane

11 Apr 2025

Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, the Gauteng MEC for transport, is considering closing down taxi ranks for six months in all areas which are plagued by taxi infighting in the province.

“We want to close all the taxi ranks in Soweto which are affected by the ongoing violence,” Gauteng Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela said on Thursday, 10 April 2025.

Diale-Tlabela was speaking at a prayer session in Dube, Soweto, after three members of the Witwatersrand African Taxi Association (Wata) were murdered on Monday. It was the latest in a string of killings believed to be related to Wata’s decade-long feud with the rival Nancefield Dube West Taxi Association (Nanduwe).

Members of the taxi industry were conspicuously absent from the prayer session.

The MEC said the provincial Department of Transport was busy putting together a plan for the alternative transport of taxi commuters for the six months during which the taxi ranks may be closed.

“We are also speaking to law enforcement so that people are free to choose their preferred modes of transport during the six months,” Diale-Tlabela said.

Read more: Three taxi association members gunned down in Soweto

Diale-Tlabela pleaded with the community to bear with the department as there might be transport inconveniences during the closure of the taxi ranks.

Diale-Tlabela was unfazed by the possibility of the taxi industry taking the department to court.

“If they take us to court, we will meet them there,” she said.

Soweto residents attend a prayer service against the violence in the taxi industry, in Soweto, South Africa. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi)

She added that the rank closures would not be limited to Soweto taxi ranks. According to Premier Panyaza Lesufi, 30 people have died due to taxi violence in the past month.

“We will also close taxi ranks in East Rand and Ekurhuleni,” she said.

While Wata and Nanduwe in Soweto have been at war, both in the courts and on the streets, Diale-Tlabela said the two associations must be merged and new leadership elected.

Read more: How the Gauteng government’s decision to disregard Soweto taxi agreement led to the latest standoff

Diale-Tlabela said she did not believe that the dispute was about routes.

“It’s a lie to say this dispute is over routes because we created an engagement platform for them (the taxi associations),” said the MEC, claiming that the violence related to extortion.

Wata and Nanduwe have spent years in court fighting over who is the rightful operator of a number of Soweto routes.

“There is no way we do not know who is committing the murders. We are counting 59 bodies from January (2025), but no one has been arrested. Where are the taxi bosses? Why are they not standing up to this? We are coming for you,” Diale-Tlabela said of taxi violence across the province.

She also questioned the role of law enforcement in the taxi killings. She said law enforcement must bring in taxi bosses and question them about the violence.

Diale-Tlabela added: “The taxi sector is not a fund-raiser where they can freely practice extortion. We will fix this mess.”

Band-Aid on a bullet wound

Past efforts to close taxi ranks in disputed territories have repeatedly failed to resolve underlying conflicts. Rather than defusing tensions, such measures often act as a catalyst for escalation, leading to more violence.

Dr Siyabulela Fobosi, a senior researcher at the University of Fort Hare, said the news of a possible shutdown of the taxi ranks was concerning.

“This issue is not just about logistical disruptions; it directly impacts commuters who rely on taxis for their daily commute to work and study,” Fobosi said.

MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela addresses the prayer service. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi)

Taxi Commuter Martha Mokgatle says she is fed up with crimes taking place in taxis where passengers are robbed of their belongings. (Photo: Bheki C. Simelane)

“Historically, attempts to close taxi ranks have often exacerbated rather than resolved issues, as you’ve noted with previous attempts by Ismail Vadi and Jacob Mamabolo. The persistence of these measures despite past failures raises questions about their effectiveness in addressing underlying challenges.”

He said that from a commuter’s perspective, the taxi rank closures could lead to increased travel times, reduced accessibility, and heightened costs, affecting their livelihoods and access to essential services.

“It’s crucial to consider alternative strategies that prioritise sustainable solutions and stakeholder engagement to ensure that any measures taken do not disproportionately burden commuters,” Fobosi said.

“Understanding the dynamics is essential for finding viable solutions that respect both public transport efficiency and the needs of those who depend on it daily.”

‘Taxi industry will suffer’

Both Wata and Nanduwe are members of the National Taxi Alliance.

Phindile Jonas, from the Department of Transport, said: “These are associations belonging to one mother body, the National Taxi Alliance. Who must die for this thing to stop? We know men in the industry who are hostile, but as women in the industry, it’s not easy for us to stand up to them and tell them.”

National Taxi Alliance Gauteng chairperson Thami Moyo told Daily Maverick: “This is an unfortunate decision that the MEC wants to take because innocent people will suffer. Not just our passengers, but innocent members.

“Because in these things, not all members subscribe to the ongoing violence. It’s only a handful of people,” Moyo said. “We urge the MEC to maybe think of another way of solving this than closing the ranks, because as it is now, taxis are repossessed left and right because people are not making enough money. Such a decision will make things worse.”

At the time of writing, Wata and Nanduwe had not responded to Daily Maverick’s request for comment.

Commuters concerned

During the prayer session on Thursday, Thokozile Macheke, the spokesperson for the Traditional Healers Association, said: “We were invited as inyangas to perform a death ritual. A lot of blood has been spilt, there needs to be an end to this.”

Diale-Tlabela said that the government would march to the Union Buildings to deposit the names of all the victims of taxi violence. Regulating licences in the taxi industry, however, is a provincial function and Diale-Tlabela’s department has been accused of failing to properly intervene in the dispute.

While the MEC addressed the media, the sound of blaring taxi horns filled the air, with drivers vying for passengers, oblivious to the event being held in their name.

Two elderly women, speaking as the voice of their community, expressed scathing criticism of taxi operators in an interview with Daily Maverick.

They accused the operators of selfishness, pointing out that, in many cases, their priorities during violent outbreaks showed a blatant disregard for the safety of commuters.

“We do not feel safe even in our own homes because of the taxi infighting. Even inside a taxi, we do not feel safe. Taxis are diverted by criminals and passengers robbed, but no one wants to tackle that. They are all about chasing our money and do not care if we die inside the taxis,” Martha Mokgatle said.

Ward 31 Councillor Bernard Victor Molefe said: “In the taxi industry, instead of counting profits, we are counting dead bodies.” DM

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South Africa

Band-Aid on a bullet wound

‘Taxi industry will suffer’

Commuters concerned