Aggrieved scholar transport operators will on Wednesday forge ahead with their protest over nonpayment by the provincial government.
Unaffected operators are also expected to join the protest in support of their colleagues, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) confirmed on Tuesday.
This comes in the wake of failed efforts to avert the protest after the operators met with the provincial transport department, led by MEC Xolile Nqatha, in KuGompo City on Tuesday.
Santaco Eastern Cape co-convener Mzwandile Nkewana said the decision was made after the taxi industry leaders and other stakeholders, including the bus council, had discussions after meeting the department.
“We’ve agreed that all scholar transport operators will join the march from Bhisho Stadium to the office of premier [Oscar] Mabuyane and put forward our grievance relating to the nonpayment and other matters the department is failing to address,” Nkewana said.
“Those who can afford to transport commuters can do so after the march, while others who have been negatively impacted by the nonpayment may not be able to do so due to having no money for fuel.”
Nkewana urged fellow operators not to be involved in any form of intimidation.
“No vehicles should be stopped, no roads should be blockaded,” he said.
“It’s a legal, peaceful march.”
Earlier, Santaco laid bare the plight of unpaid operators.
“The organisation is demanding urgent and decisive intervention from Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane, as the situation has reached breaking point, with severe consequences for both operators and the thousands of learners who rely on these services daily,” Nkewana said.
“For months — and in some cases since the inception of their contracts — transport operators have not received payment for services rendered.”
Nkewana said this had had devastating financial consequences, with operators losing vehicles, defaulting on financial obligations and facing the collapse of their businesses.
“The impact on schoolchildren across the province is now critical,” he said.
“Many learners depend entirely on scholar transport to access education and the continued failure to pay operators places their ability to attend school at serious risk.
“Operators have, under extreme financial pressure, continued to provide services in good faith, but this situation is no longer sustainable.”
Nkewana said the protest would push home demands for the immediate settlement of all outstanding scholar transport payments, full transparency and accountability in the administration of contracts, and urgent intervention from the office of the premier.
“It is also intended to alert commuters, businesses and the broader Eastern Cape community to the sustained and unacceptable treatment of taxi operators,” he said.
The taxi body said the provincial government’s failure to pay operators was not an isolated administrative error but part of a persistent and systemic pattern of nonpayment that had continued without consequences.
The operators are expected to gather at the stadium at 9am before proceeding to the office of the premier at 10am, where they will deliver a formal memorandum of demands.
Provincial transport department spokesperson Unathi Binqose said the department respects the right of individuals to take part in lawful protest action.
“However, our immediate focus as government is to ensure that payments for services rendered are processed as speedily as possible,” he said.
“The department has never reneged on its obligation to pay service providers.”
Binqose said while recent technical challenges have caused delays, the department is actively implementing measures to resolve these issues and expedite outstanding payments.
“At the same time, any disruption to services, particularly scholar transport, would be unfortunate and have a direct impact on learners and their access to education,” Binqose said.
“Our priority remains clear: to stabilise the system and ensure that all due payments are processed without further delay.”
Daily Dispatch
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