Boy Zondi elected chairperson to lead unity, transformation

KwaZulu-Natal – SANTACO recently held its AGM at Durban Marine Parade Hotel Garden Court on 23 October, where new provincial leaders were elected.

The elective AGM set for 30 September was postponed due to administrative issues. According to Sifiso Shangase, KZN SANTACO’s administrative manager, there was insufficient time to verify delegates’ credentials and address other challenges.

Boy Zondi and most of his former provincial office bearers were re-elected by the majority of regional delegates, with two positions filled by new members.

Addressing the delegates, Zondi expressed his gratitude for the support he received to serve another term as provincial leader emphasizing unity and delivery for taxi operators.

“The province’s elected leaders have committed to unity and speeding up service delivery in the taxi industry,” he declared.

Zondi and his team maintained strong relationships with stakeholders, receiving support from both the provincial government and business sector.

Sifiso Shangase, who serves as the office manager for KZN SANTACO, told TaxiWorld that the conference provided an opportunity for members to come together and repair their strained relationship with the national SANTACO organisation.

Before the AGM, KZN SANTACO had not in national activities for four years until recently when they made representations to the mother body’s Management Committee (MANCO) to consider their request for reinstatement so they could rejoin national structure.

Shangase highly commends the national office’s reconciliation initiatives that have helped reintegrate the provincial structure into SANTACO at the national level.

He said, “SANTACO reversed its decision to exclude the province from national activities. The situation occurred because Kwa-Zulu-Natal’s boycott of participation was primarily due to reasons related to the national elections outcome.”

“As a result, KZN SANTACO will participate in the 2026 National Elective Conference. After the national office lifted the province’s ban,” he said.

Shangase notes that democracy has prevailed despite challenges, with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) overseeing the elections under national office supervision.

“The elections went smoothly; now we must rebuild unity and
address operators’ concerns. With the AGM over and relations normalised with SANTACO’s parent body, we can move forward under our new leadership,” he said.