DURBAN - THE SA National Taxi Association (Santaco) condemned the threats levelled against taxi owners, but also reminded taxi bosses not to brand taxis with political messages that may upset those who use their services.
Malo-aBotsheba (Stephen Sefofa), a Limpopo taxi owner and businessman who was allegedly threatened by Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula said he was hurt by the minister’s remarks.
“We render services to the people of this country, therefore, we must be careful how we brand our taxis. However, we must also condemn any threats levelled against taxi owners,” said Sfiso Shangase, Santaco’s provincial manager in KZN.
Transport spokesperson Ayanda-Allie Paine did not respond to questions from the Daily News.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said there was no criminal case opened against Mbalula yet.
In a voice note circulating on social media, Mbalula was heard shouting at the Limpopo businessman and taxi owner, popularly known as Malo-aBotsheba (Stephen Sefofa) for branding his taxis “Hands off Ace Magashule”.
Speaking to the Daily News, Sefofa said he was “deeply hurt” by Mbalula’s remarks because it meant the minister would either use his connections to burn his fleet of cars or hire assassins to kill him.
Sefofa said he has spent millions on ANC’s campaigns since 2017, supporting the party with his ANC-branded bakkies, taxis and trucks. Recently, he branded all his cars with Covid19 branding, assisting government to spread awareness about the virus – all with no compensation expected.
In the voice notes, Mbalula was heard telling Sefofa that his branded taxis would never reach Joburg because he was “inviting trouble”.
"The taxis you’re branding here must trouble the country, ‘Hands off Magashule’, ‘Hands off Msiza’. What are you trying to do?” asked Mbalula.
Sefofa was heard trying to plead with him, saying he loved the ANC and did not belong to any faction, but Mbalula dismissed Sefofa. He apparently threatened to stop lining up his branded taxis, asking him whose war it was.
“You're inviting trouble in the way of doing nonsense and doing things that are against and anti-ANC,” Mbalula said.
The minister was heard saying the ANC was bleeding and comrades were busy appearing in court but Sefofa was busy branding his taxis.
He also questioned where Sefofa was receiving the money to brand taxis when he had seemingly told the minister he did not have money.
Mbalula placed Sefofa on hold before retrieving the call and continued to harass him. Sefofa reminded Mbalula that he had never disobeyed him since 2017 when Mbalula would call asking for Sefofa’s bakkies to help campaign for the ANC.
"There is no campaign here, we are not in a campaign,“ said Mbalula.
Asking if he could personally go to Mbalula's office to explain, Mbalula continued yelling, saying Sefofa must not go to his office, and warned him that he would show Sefofa and his taxis.
Sefofa apparently intends writing to the president to ask that Mbalula be disciplined and removed from Cabinet. “He can’t go around using his position to threaten people like that,” Sefofa said.
Daily News