The South African Police Service Provincial Commissioner Lt General Liziwe Ntshinga was one of the dignitaries that graced with their presence the opening of the taxi industry conference under the theme “Peace and Reconciliation”, set to conclude today.
Lt General Liziwe Ntshinga delivered groundbreaking remarks as she sent a warning against the spiraling taxi violence in the province and a message of hope to the affected communities, that the devastation caused by the ongoing violence in the province is getting the attention of the SAPS.
The Peace and Reconciliation Conference is currently underway at the East London Golf Club, it started on Monday, 08 March 2021 and is expected to conclude today Wednesday, 10 March 2021.
The purpose of the conference is to address issues that are confronting the taxi industry as well as enforce peace and reconciliation within the industry.
Many lives have been lost over the years and are still being lost even at the present moment due to the violence that keeps erupting repeatedly whenever there are differences of opinion within the industry in the Eastern Cape province and families are still suffering untold post-traumatic stresses and depressions.
Equally, young people are languishing in prisons, some of them had their lives cut short because of the Inter and Intra-Taxi industry conflicts. Communities are subjected to a myriad of different forms of intimidation and unwarranted fear.
Speaking at the conference General Ntshinga said, “Peace and reconciliation in the taxi industry are very crucial and a requisite element in our day-to-day living. It brings back memories of where our country comes from, its struggles towards the policy of reconciliation, and the aftermaths of achieving peace which was seen by some, as a pipe dream and a dream impossible.”
“I am here today on behalf of the SAPS, to say that we must prove them wrong this week. The outcomes from this collection must demonstrate the real truth about the Professional nature of the Taxi Industry, its economic benefits to our society, and the undoubted quality of leadership chosen to lead and manage this industry,” she added.
General Ntshinga further appealed for a maximised cooperation and strengthened relations between the Taxi Industry and the SAPS in all the eight districts to consider the impact of this violence on the general safety and security of the people.