The Gauteng Taxi Industry (GTI), represented by GNTA and SANTACO Gauteng, accused Gauteng Roads and Transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela of ignoring recognised leadership structures, according to a GTI statement after a 20 July press conference.
GNTA and SANTACO Gauteng leaders said they wanted to explain their dispute with the MEC to the public, commuters and stakeholders.
The industry said it had worked with past transport MECs to regulate, formalise and modernise the taxi sector.
The Gauteng government funds industry management through the Gauteng Taxi Industry Trust, which manages and accounts for the money.
NTA spokesperson Theo Malele said the funding was well spent.
“The funding helps leaders run offices, respond to conflict, strengthen internal democracy and compensate full-time leaders for lost income,” he said.
Malele said government asked how the funds were used, but the trust’s board of trustees—not the taxi industry—must account to the MEC.
“The board is ready to give the MEC a full report, including on the Shesha project, which still needs an overhaul,” he said.
The industry said ties with MEC Diale-Tlabela had recently strained, but it wanted lasting solutions because government remained a key partner.
Malele cited allegations that the MEC dealt directly with individual associations and members, bypassing elected regional and provincial structures.
The GTI also criticised the MEC’s decision to stop operators collecting licences in their application regions.
It accused her of centralising licence issuing and withholding licences until a ceremonial handover.
Diale-Tlabela said the backlog had been reduced, with more than 3,000 licences issued since November 2025.
“We achieved this by improving the department’s administrative and internal capacity,” she told eNCA.
“When we took office, the industry had raised these challenges, and we focused on resolving them.”
“The backlog has now been cleared, which is a major milestone,” she said.
Malele welcomed progress on licence backlogs but urged the department to do more.
By publication, relations had normalised and the planned taxi march was suspended.
“We have agreed to end hostilities and meet within 14 days to resolve all issues raised with her office,” Malele said.
