Earlier this morning, the Executive Mayor of Rustenburg Councillor Mpho Khunou held a meeting with the representatives of the Tlhabane Taxi Association, over events of recent weeks which have concerned members of the community. Councillors of Tlhabane, Tlhabane West and Geelhout Park who were present in the meeting, expressed safety concerns of the learners who commute between their respective homes and schools using the taxis, specifically permitted for this purpose.
It was reported during the course of the meeting that, enroute from the respective schools, particularly on weekends, the taxis used for scholar transport purposes do not take the learners home as required by law, but congregate in Tlhabane, were parties are held and alcohol is consumed ostensibly by under-age children. The representatives of the association, said given the nature of the responsibility bestowed on the drivers, it was critical that all stakeholders work collaboratively on a solution to end this challenge.
Mayor Khunou, said it cannot be correct that given the period within which the country finds itself (state of national disaster) people are behaving recklessly with lives of young children “we cannot allow this underage drinking to happen unabated, because we know of the unpalatable consequences that emanate from such behaviour. Furthermore, we will have to give special attention to the taxis which are permitted to transport learners to ensure that in their operation, there is strict compliance to the law. I applaud the Councillors who have brought this matter to our attention as well as the swift response of the Tlhabane Taxi Association” Mayor Khunou remarked.
Mayor Khunou, further implored on all taxi associations within the jurisdiction of Rustenburg, to work alongside the Municipality and all law enforcement agencies, to rid the industry of certain elements, which have the potential of tainting the back-bone of the City’s transport sector.
The Municipality has committed to engaging with various law enforcement agencies which will target the known areas around Rustenburg, where such gatherings take place and where public drinking occurs, by school going children. In addition, the envisaged operations will also focus on the regulations, enforcement of laws governing the scholar transport sector inclusive of the National Road Traffic Act. The meeting was also attended by the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Roads and Transport Councillor Lucky Kgaladi, the City’s Single Whip – Councillor Levy Mokwele and officials from the Public Safety Directorate.
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