Durban — The Wentworth scholar transport owners have called for action to be taken against the Auswent Taxi Association in Durban which they allege hinders scholar transporters from operating by demanding a R17 000 joining fee and confiscating their vehicles upon failure to pay.
Nathan Smith, who is one of the victims in the scholar transport business, said he was manhandled in the presence of child passengers, which he described as setting a bad example to children.
He also relayed his personal experience of alleged harassment and financial abuse.
“As a parent who also has to take care of his mother, tell me where a total of R17 000 could come from even if it’s a once-a-year sort of arrangement. Considering that my responsibilities are not only family but also maintaining the very car I have to pay for using,” Smith said.
Smith said what they were expected to pay came as a surprise from scholar transport offices.
“It is either they are fair or not when it comes to working with us. I propose that they come back to us and ask what we can afford. Right now we feel as if these amounts are imposed on us and it is like we have to follow them,” he said.
Another victim, who is a widow with three children according to her recent WhatsApp voice note, revealed her suffering in the scholar transport sector.
She received no inheritance after her husband’s death. Her only option was picking herself up by her bootstraps and not waiting for a R5 handout outside a corner store somewhere when she could make that for herself.
In this voice note, she stated how being manhandled once made her feel small.
Auswent Taxi Association chairperson William Capitaeux denied allegations of harassment and extortion of scholar transporters.
He told the Daily News the issue was with a specific scholar transport body.
According to Capitaeux, the taxi association only required R100 from these owners, with their scholar-relevant association requiring R500 a term.
“I cannot confirm any R17 000 as an association chair mainly because their decisions are taken by a scholar transport board. The widow complaining about being manhandled and forced to pay money you do not have could have been a scam. It could happen as it has also happened before,” Capiteaux said.
Capitaeux furthermore made the Daily News aware that he knew decision-makers within the newly dominant scholar transport industry by names. He said some of the issues raised as concerns from this conversation could be something they had not yet been made aware of.
SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) KZN spokesperson Sifiso Shangase called for unity in the greater taxi industry. He said the apex structure brought together three modes of transport from a minibus to metered as long as it was a taxi.
“Specifically with the current situation in Wentworth, it would be important that affected owners arrange to see Mr Mandla Mvubu (KZN Scholar Transport Chairperson). He is the one responsible for handling queries regarding scholar transport,” Shangase said.
Shangase advised affected owners to follow up with relevant structures they would know being in the transport business. He encouraged this behaviour if perpetrators were people associated with at least Hlokomela and other known taxi-associated bodies.
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Daily News