TO: PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA HOUSES
FROM: KGANKI MATABANE (BBC CEO) AND THABISO MOLELEKWA (SANTACO SPOKESPERSON)
DATE: 30 March 2020
SUBJECT: THE BBC AND SANTACO TO MEET THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT TO DISCUSS FINANCIAL RELIEF TO THE TAXI INDUSTRY
The Black Business Council (BBC) and the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) will meet with the Director General of the Department of Transport on Monday, 30 March 2020, to discuss, amongst other important matters which will be tabled to both the Ministers of Transport and Police for a urgent resolution, financial relief to the Taxi industry in the wake of the national lockdown. The meeting is predicated by the fact that the Taxi industry, which is not subsidised unlike other transport providers, has been facing a number of challenges since the start of the lockdown.
The Taxi industry in recognizing the importance of the next three days where millions of our people are receiving their social grants and Calls upon all its members (Taxi operators) to go back to work tomorrow morning and ensure that our elderly citizens and social grants recipients are transported safely and in the best possible hygienic manner as recommended, to their pay points and back home.
Requests that the departments of Social Development, Transport and Health ensure that Taxi operators in their respective provinces are provided with Sanitizers, Gloves, Masks and disinfectant sprays.
Mr. Philip Taaibosch, the SANTACO President, says “we recognise that our elderly citizens are an important section of society and as such, must be protected at all costs. They are also vulnerable to this opportunistic virus called Covid-19. Consequently, we ask all in our society to protect our elderly people as well as those who are sick and defenceless”
“It is our belief as the BBC that the Taxi industry, like all other Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) as the catalyst to achieving economic growth and development, should be supported financially to compensate for their losses of income. Engagement with the relevant ministers and the economic cluster are ongoing to find a suitable solution and package to support the industry through these difficult times” added Sandile Zungu, the BBC President.
Both the BBC and SANTACO applaud and thank all those Taxi operators and drivers who have been in the frontline and have put their own lives at risk making sure that our people are able to move to either provide the essential services or to access such services. We also thank the leadership of the Taxi industry for their guidance and willingness to do everything possible to ensure that millions of South Africans are shielded from the virus.