North West SANTACO provincial chairperson Ebusang Tladi has challenged the Moruleng & District Taxi Association (MODITA) chairperson Baloyi to an open debate on calls for a referendum that would allow the association’s general membership to decide which mother body they want to affiliate with.
Tladi said Baloyi was responsible for splitting the association by joining the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) without securing majority support from members to leave SANTACO.
He explained that Baloyi had been elected under the oversight of SANTACO’s Bojanala Region. According to Tladi, Baloyi joined the other mother body after members became dissatisfied with his leadership.
He further alleged that Baloyi has since been recruiting new members and applying for operating licences on their behalf.
Tladi said SANTACO would support a referendum if participation were “limited to those who were MODITA members when the organisation split and moved from SANTACO to the NTA”.
He stressed that both sides must first agree on the terms of the referendum as a first stage to holding the actual referendum. He also noted that the rival groups have accused each other of recruiting new members to increase their numbers and gain an advantage in the vote.
He warned that allowing these new members to participate could undermine the purpose of the referendum, which is intended to resolve the divisions affecting MODITA’s original members.
