The South African National Taxi Association (Santaco) has distanced itself from the e-hailing attacks at Maponya Mall, Soweto, on Wednesday night.
The attacks resulted in the death of one person and the injury and hospitalisation of two others, a driver and a bystander.
Allegations link the attacks to ongoing tensions between the taxi industry and e-hailing drivers.
Graham Fritz, Santaco’s secretary in Gauteng, said the incident has raised concern. Fritz sent condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones of the deceased while wishing a speedy recovery to those injured.
He appealed to frustrated members of the community to allow law enforcement to lead investigations into the tragic attacks.
“We urge members of the public to avoid speculation or unfounded accusations that automatically place the taxi industry at fault.
“Such assumptions harm the reputation of the industry and undermine due processes,” said Fritz.
Proliferation of e-hailing businesses
The South African Ride Hailing Association (Sarideha) speculated that Santaco spokesperson Rebecca Phala’s statement on Wednesday could be the cause of the attacks.
Phala expressed her worries about “illegality in the e-hailing sector and the delayed implementation of regulatory reforms”.
Santaco stressed that the proliferation of e-hailing businesses has put communities at risk, citing an increase in sexual harassment, kidnappings, hijackings, and other violent crimes.
“Santaco is deeply concerned about the continued illegality and lack of regulation in the e-hailing services sector,” Phala said.
“This situation stems from the delay in finalising and implementing the amended National Land Transport Act regulations, more than a year after the act was amended in May 2024.
“This regulatory vacuum has created an environment where many e-hailing operators are operating without government-authorised permits.
“The current structure of e-hailing platforms does not enforce the requirement for these permits, leading to a flood of unregulated operators within the public transport space.”
Commuters’ right to choose
Ndabezinhle Khoza, the chairperson of Sarideha, said the association is still trying to come to terms with Wednesday night’s attacks at Maponya Mall.
Khoza said the incident was not unique, adding that the attacks have been happening mostly in township shopping centres, including Jabulani Mall and Thembisa Mall, as well as malls in Vosloorus and Katlehong, to the east of Johannesburg, among others.
He said the Santaco statement on Wednesday and the attacks that happened later that evening were not a coincidence.
“It’s a pity that the government is a spectator in all this,” Khoza said.
“This problem should have been solved long ago if the government had done an honourable thing to regulate the industry nationally and not cede its duties to provincial governments that lack capacity and expertise.”
“Law enforcement can’t do much without regulation. This isn’t the first time cars have been burnt and drivers attacked at Maponya, and no one has been caught since this started.”
He emphasised that people have a right to choose what they want, but the industry does not seem to appreciate competition and resorts to violent attacks.
