14 September 2001
The Minister of Transport;
The MEC for Transport in the KwaZulu-Natal Province;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Let me warmly welcome all of you to this first National Conference of the Minibus Taxi Industry.
Today is an important day for the industry, given the long hard road that has been travelled over the years.
People usually refer to events as being historic quite easily. But I think we can be justified in saying today that the discussions you will be having here, and the elections you will be holding for a democratic national leadership body, will be a historic turning point for the taxi industry.
For the first time all taxi associations in the country will be able to co-ordinate their activities through legitimate local, regional and national structures.
This industry is already an important public transport provider in South Africa. Every day, taxis carry about 65% of the country's commuters. This market share has been achieved against the toughest odds.
We look back with pride at the road that has been travelled, and congratulate you on having been the pioneers of black economic empowerment.
We all remember the early days and the difficulties you experienced when you started out in the 1980's.
These included fighting to become recognised; to find the money to operate and survive; to compete with subsidised bus companies supported by the apartheid government; and to organise yourselves properly when there was no regulation and no framework for orderly competition.
Despite these hardships, the industry grew, providing South Africans of all ages with a quick, convenient and flexible service that they had never had before.
Unfortunately, at the same time, conflict set in, and the industry became synonymous with death and destruction, and many lives have been lost throughout the country.
Coupled with this, was the poor regard of passengers by the industry, evidenced in the poor condition of minibus taxis and the danger this has posed to passengers. These problems have retarded progress and reduced passenger confidence in this industry, which otherwise has a lot of potential.
Today's developments are moving the industry into a new era. The work of the different stakeholders that has taken us this far, convinces us that the industry believes the time have come to put an end to conflict and to unite, move forward and be strong.
The determination to succeed has been displayed in different process, from the beginning of the National Task Team process, to the formation of provincial taxi councils, and through the recent intensive series of meetings of the National Conference Preparatory Committee.
At the same time, we are aware that there are still issues that need to be finalised, which we believe will assist the growth of the industry. These include the Be Legal process, tax recapitalisation, the safety and electronic management specifications for the new vehicles and the development of cooperatives.
We also know that the issue of government subsidy to the taxi industry, in one form or another, is of great concern to you. None of these are simple matters, and they need to be handled seriously constructively.
Ladies and gentlemen, the achievement that this Conference promises is that the industry will be able to speak to government in one united voice.
This will enable us to develop trust and mutual understanding, and to keep communication lines open.
Brothers and sisters, we stand ready today to enter a new future, and we are all optimistic that it will be a bright one. In the next few years we expect to see a revitalised industry emerge, with new, stronger, safer vehicle, an improved infrastructure and well-served, satisfied customers.
In a few more years, we hopefully will no longer be speaking of a minibus taxi industry, but of powerful transport companies servicing the public passenger transport sector, running taxis, buses and maybe even entering the freight industry. This, we hope, would also contribute to the reduction of conflict.
Ladies and gentlemen, we also need to bear in mind that lots of opportunities exist for entrepreneurs, both in the country and in the continent, and we should make use of them. The New African Initiative, the African recovery programme spearheaded by African Heads of State, offers opportunities that can be exploited.
The objectives of the programme include ensuring peace and stability and ending of conflicts, the democratisation of the continent, promotion of trade, industry and investment and ensuring sustainable development.
Obviously, transport plays an important role in the recovery of the continent, as transport networks form arteries through which the different parts are linked.
Built into the New African Initiative is an Infrastructure Initiative, which will enhance regional co-operation and trade through expanded cross-border connectivity in infrastructure.
Through the initiative, we also hope to see an increase in financial investments in infrastructure.
So, already, the groundwork is being laid for our transport sector to gain from recovery of the continent. Many taxi associations are taking advantage of the SADC routes. In conclusion, I would like to stress the importance of continuing partnerships between government and the industry, to ensure that the process we are starting today bears fruit.
We need to work harder to ensure this process leads us to a situation where ordinary taxi association can grow into powerful transport companies that will contribute positively to the economy of our country.
I wish you all the best in your deliberations.
I thank you.