Free State MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport Jabu Mbalula has fulfilled his pledge to prioritise widows in the taxi industry when issuing operating licences.
Speaking at a recent ceremony at the Moqhaka Municipality Town Hall in Kroonstad, where operating licences were handed to widows of deceased taxi operators through estate transfers, Mbalula praised the taxi industry’s contribution to the economy and reaffirmed his department’s commitment to helping women-owned businesses thrive.
“Today, we are not simply handing over pieces of paper. We are creating economic opportunities, opening doors, building women entrepreneurs and transforming the industry. May these licences become businesses, may these businesses become employers, may these employers become leaders, and may the women we celebrate build lasting legacies.”
Mbalula encouraged the women operators to seize the opportunity and make their mark in the taxi industry.
Mrs Tsikwane, one of the recipients, received two operating licences. She thanked the government for transferring her late husband’s business to her, enabling her to continue the family enterprise.
She urged the government to go beyond issuing operating permits by helping women access affordable finance to purchase vehicles.
Rev. Majoe, also a taxi operator, called on the industry to respect and protect women operators. He warned that women without vehicles, or whose vehicles have been repossessed, can be pressured to rent out their permits and may sometimes be robbed, forcing them out of business.
Free State SANTACO’s provincial and regional leaders attended the event and thanked the Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE) and the MEC for honouring deceased operators’ legacies by safeguarding continuity, dignity and lawful ownership of their operating licences.
