The South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU) has issued a stark warning that the ongoing violent conflict between e-hailing services and minibus taxi operators is devastating its members and threatens to cause significant job losses in the retail sector.
This comes in the wake of a meeting convened by Gauteng Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela with Maponya Mall management and other stakeholders following a spate of attacks on transport providers in Soweto.
In an interview, SACCAWU Deputy General Secretary Jerry Mmoneri highlighted that the union’s 120,000 members working in malls across the country are becoming the “collateral damage” in a war between two competing transport industries.
Mmoneri explained that workers are victimized in two key ways. Firstly, when violent clashes lead to calls for malls to be shut down, the immediate casualties are the employees who are unable to work and earn a living.
“Secondly, is the very same workers as they go to work and return back… they still have to use the very same transports,” Mmoneri said, emphasizing the danger they face during their commutes.
Beyond the direct threat to personal safety, Mmoneri pointed to a severe economic ripple effect. He argued that a lack of safe and reliable transport deters customers from shopping at malls, which directly impacts foot traffic and sales.
“In the midst of the difficulties that we are having in this year economy, you will see many workers start losing jobs here because of that,” he stated.
The union leader placed the responsibility for a solution squarely on the shoulders of government authorities. He called for the Department of Transport to finally “play its role” in properly regulating the industry and for the South African Police Service to secure hotspots around malls.
“A proper regulation… in terms of the pick up and drop off in all malls by both taxis,” is urgently needed, Mmoneri said. He advocated for clearly demarcated areas and established rules for all transport operators to prevent recurring conflicts.
While condemning the violence, Mmoneri expressed SACCAWU’s willingness to engage with all parties, including taxi association bosses and community organizations, to find a peaceful resolution. The union’s primary goal, he stressed, is to “defend and protect jobs at all cost.”
The situation underscores how turf wars in the public transport sector have far-reaching consequences, extending beyond drivers and directly threatening the livelihoods of thousands of retail workers and the stability of one of South Africa’s key economic sectors.