Female leaders in the minibus taxi industry have called for an immediate end to gender-based violence (GBV) and harassment of women at taxi ranks.
The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) Women structure held an awareness activation at the Kempton Park Taxi Rank on Monday.
Speaking during the event, SANTACO Women Chairperson Dudu Maphumulo warned that the mistreatment of women directly threatens the economic future of the taxi industry.
“At the end of the day, we want to make sure that people are safe in our space and that our passengers feel comfortable and confident using our transport,” said Maphumulo. She added that commuters will seek alternative transport if they feel unsafe.
“We want to compete with other modes of transport by educating our drivers, rank marshals, and commuters,” she said.
Maphumulo highlighted that drivers who mistreat passengers will face strict consequences through internal rank mechanisms.
“We have disciplinary committees within the rank facilities to deal with driver misconduct. Anyone stepping out of line will be disciplined,” she said.
SANTACO National Chairperson Lungiswa Mabija urged men in the industry to protect women rather than conflict with them. Mabija emphasised that women must feel safe at ranks, advising drivers to resolve fare disputes peacefully rather than resorting to verbal abuse or violence.
Kempton Park Taxi Rank Manager George Maredi welcomed the initiative.
“We are grateful SANTACO brought this activation to our rank. It will help us protect women from harassment and ensure we maintain these standards moving forward,” Maredi said.
The campaign is scheduled to expand to the Western Cape in two weeks before rolling out across other provinces.
