MEC
Jacob Mamabolo has called on the minibus taxi industry to support the work of
the Commission of Inquiry into Taxi Violence in the Gauteng. He also urged the industry
players to refrain from acts of violence. 
The
MEC made the call after the retired Judge Jeremiah Shongwe, who serves as chair,
made the first public announcement on the Commission's state of readiness since
the Proclamation. The Commission is appointed in terms of section 127(2)(e) of
the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 8 of 1996 read with
Section 21 of the Provincial Commission Act 01 of 1997.
The
commission was appointed by the Gauteng Provincial Government following resolutions
taken at the second Provincial Taxi Summit in July 2019. These included the
appointment of a retired judge to investigate the root causes of taxi violence
in the Gauteng Province. 
Referring
to the work of the Commission, MEC Mamabolo said ‘we are confident that the
Commission will open a new chapter for the Taxi industry and place it on a
completely new path for modernization. We hope this industry, which is one of
the oldest businesses led by Africans”. He added “this will change from
being a gun-run industry to a smart modern business like-industry, paving
the way for massive investments and a real black economic empowerment model for
the historically oppressed people’. 
He further
emphasised that parties ‘must end this scourge of violence that can only be
compared to what used to be called ‘black-on-black violence’.