• Fikile Mbalula has pleaded with the taxi industry to reconsider its threat to strike next week over the relief fund promised by the Transport Department.
• Mbalula promised that next week he will announce how much the taxi owners will be receiving.
• Government will hand the relief fund to SARS to distribute it to taxi operators not associations.  

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has pleaded with taxi associations planning to down tools later this month - over their unhappiness with the government's proposed relief fund - to reconsider their threat.

Mbalula assured the taxi industry that he will announce next week how much taxi operators will be financially aided by his department.

Taxi operators have threatened to go on strike demanding the fast tracking of the financial relief aid promised by Mbalula.

Some associations have threatened to increase fares by more than 100% claiming that they have lost money due to the required 70% loading capacity.

"Why a shutdown now? There will be no need for taxis to go on a shutdown in the Republic especially this time. We are all bonded by a need of humanity. We are all making sacrifices. Different industries in the country are in distress including the R20 billion taxi industry," said Mbalula.

"I remember that I was attacked when I raised the taxi relief fund. I said we need to assist the industry. Long distance taxis have been severely hit, and are out of business. They are the people we need to focus on."

"We are discussing hard with the industry and money has been set aside by government. We are currently discussing the modalities," said Mbalula.

The relief fund will be handed to SARS, to distribute to taxi operators instead of to the associations.

He said the department has a database of all registered taxis in the country through its eNatis system.

Mbalula said they have to resolve some issues with owners who are not on the database.

"I'm discouraging a shutdown. We are not at war with the taxi industry and we will work with them. We are discussing how money will be distributed and that money will never be enough.

"If taxi fares are increased, the amount must be fair to customers. We need to talk about fares increasing and must not be unaffordable," Mbalula said.

"I don't want to establish a relief fund that will never end. Whether it is a cent or two, it is not going to be big money. The relief fund will come and pass. There is a bigger issue that we need to resolve with the industry which is the formalisation of the taxi industry.

"There are some taxis that are breaking the regulations by operating 24 hours. Some drivers don't observe social distancing and others don't wear masks. We are providing them with sanitiser," said Mbalula.