Issued by: Ministry for Safety and Security
December 12, 1995, Pretoria
We note with concern a press release by the Lehlabile Taxi Organisation (LTO), issued in Johannesburg today suggesting that the Minister for Safety and Security, Sydney Mufamadi, does not care about peoples' lives.
These allegations and suggestions are unfounded, incorrect and are tantamount to nothing but vilification and slander and we reject them with contempt.
It is unbecoming of LTO to create such a false and incorrect perception in attempting to secure an audience with the Minister for whatever reason.
We know for a fact that Jacob Ledwaba of LTO telephoned the Minister's Private Secretary, this morning requesting that the Minister should attend today's meeting together with the Commissioner of the Police.
However, it was not possible for the Minister to attend today's meeting because of other engagements and at such a short notice.
It is also unbecoming of Ledwaba to insist that the Private Secretary should attend the meeting as the Minister's representative. What Ledwaba fails to understand is that the Commissioner of the Police is accountable to the Minister and he is therefore an appropriate person to attend such a meeting.
While the Minister attaches importance to the on-gong violence in the taxi industry, suffice it to say that, it is also unbecoming of Ledwaba to issue a statement before LTO could even attend the meeting with the Commissioner making such wild allegations.
Mulalo Maxwell Mulaudzi Minister's spokesperson 082 373 2005