Gideon Nkala
9 May 2004
When they went into an impromptu crisis meeting with the department of transport and the police, the striking Gaborone Local Taxi and Buses Association operators had a list of demands that they wanted addressed before they could go back to work.
Not only were their demands met, but they successfully squeezed the department of transport into a tight corner and got more than they bargained for. It was all smiles, whistles and victory signs when about a hundred route managers and Association officials emerged from the Broadhurst police station after the more than three hours meeting.
The Association had on Friday morning embarked on a crippling strike that left workers, students and other commuters stranded for most part of the day.
The strike according to the Association was sparked by what it described as a knee-jerk reaction of impounding and charging taxis and combis for failure to comply with the Revised Road Transport Act of August 2003.
The Association's Secretary General, Philip Sakarea, said they received communication from the department of transport last Thursday to the effect that all commuter vehicles that did not have the stipulated 80 km/h speed limit and legible owners addresses on the drivers door would be impounded and fined P400.
"We received this communication at 2.15 pm and we were told that we should have complied by 4.30 pm on the same day," Sakarea said.
According to Sakarea, they felt the condition was unreasonable and impractical and they made an effort to have the department extend the deadline. Although the Association sent its emissaries, they were rebuffed and told that the department was unflinching its demands.
"We were told that we were wasting time coming to the department instead of using the time to ensure that we comply," one shouted from among the route managers.
"Realising that we were up against a wall", Sakarea said, "we decided we would meet the department head on by withdrawing our vehicles from the roads".
The bureaucratic niceties of points of interruptions and chairperson's protection and points of order were often a rarity at the meeting. This is no surprise given the reputation of combi operators. The Director of road transport, Moses Sebolai, was at the deep end as the transporters gave him a baptism of fire. When he stood to address the tempestuous meeting, he said it was unfortunate that the situation has turned nasty while matters could have been resolved through peaceful dialogue.
"I personally did not know of the issue until today. Why didn't you come and see me about it?" he asked. At this juncture one transporter rose and gave him a piece a tongue lashing. "Ke eng osa bue hela gore o paletswe. Tens of thousand people ga ba aya ditirong just because of you. Office ya transport e ke maragaraga hela."
Police Divisional Commander Seboifeng Matsietsa, who chaired the meeting urged the man to be respectful and calm down but he continued to rain verbal blows on Sebolai with abandon.
Talking about his department's action, Sebolai said it was very clear that the taxi operators were deliberately ignoring the dictates of the Revised Road Act. According to Sebolai the Act published in the government gazette states that mini-buses of 16 seats and below should have a white 80 km/h speed limit sticker instead of the old black and yellow one.
But the operators countered this saying there was no sufficient consultation on the matter.
"Not everyone reads the government gazette. We should have been consulted and educated on these changes as stakeholders," one quipped. The transporters said the officers from the department of transport were giving them conflicting information.
Even Sebolai confessed that the government gazette carried misleading information.
A mini-bus is not a 15 seater but a 16 seater," he corrected a schedule in the gazette and this buoyed the representatives' spirits.
Another confusion, according to the representatives, was that retailers were selling them speed limit discs that are rejected by transport inspectors.
"Gatwe bare re reke ko shopong ya ga Sebolai," one jabbed at Sebolai. The director dismissed the insinuation saying it is completely false.
The operators alleged that the same confusion and conflicting instructions by the department manifests itself in the inscription of owners' names and addresses on the commuter vehicles.
"We do not know what are the dimensions, specifications and where on the vehicle it should be placed," Sakarea said.
This requirement seemed to be the major reason that led to many vehicles being impounded.
Sebolai's answer to the complaints about the owners' address and name was curt. "We want the writing to be legible, permanent and on the drivers door," he said adding that there are no dimensions given.
This seemed to be what the transporters were waiting for and they cheered and said they have been vindicated.
"All of our combies have been written legibly by a permanent vinyl instead of paint," Sakarea said.
Sebolai concurred with the operators that if they feel the use of vinyl is better than the more permanent paint, then he would not object.
With two of their demands acceded to the transporters went for broke.
"We will not go back to work if you do not return the confiscated permits and the P400 that some of our members have been charged," Sakarea bellowed to Sebolai amidst wild cheers.
Sebolai conceded, albeit with a provision that all the monies and confiscated permits will be returned if they were taken because of the inscriptions and speed limit stickers.
The transporters were now on a total onslaught and went for the big kill. One taxi driver opined: "Are ba tshwareng ba santse ba ipetlekile". Although he was whispering to his friend, Sakarea seemed to have telepathically picked the cue and he went for the jugular.
He demanded that Sebolai should tell them when they are going to get a fare increase.
"We have been waiting for four years. Like all other business we want an increase. Ga re re batla madi a letlole la ga goromente ra re re batla go oketsa."
Sebolai replied that the government was still consulting internally and the matter will have to come before cabinet.
"Ra re batla koketso wa re cabinet," one shouted.
Although they did not squarely win this one, they at least got a commitment from the director who said that they might get a fare increase in July.
"If that fails, I am certain something would be done in August," Sebolai said.
Although they were not particularly impressed with the answer, the transporters leadership was extremely satisfied with the progress they made.
"For the first time we won our case today," said the Association's chairman Gibson Matenge.
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