New taxi rank at Thavhani Mall

When the multi-million-rand Thavhani Mall opened in August last year, the lives of shoppers in the Vhembe area changed for the better.

Transport was, however, one of the challenges that shoppers faced, as taxi ranks were far from the new mall and shoppers had to walk a distance with their goods to catch taxis.

Last Friday, the transport problem was solved when the director of Thavhani Mall, Thovhele Nkhaneni Ramovha, Thulamela mayor Avhashoni Tshifhango and the chairperson of Santaco Vhembe, Mr Balanganani Shandukani, officially opened the new taxi rank outside the mall.

The ceremony was attended by taxi owners, taxi drivers, passengers and some of the workers at the mall who use public transport to get home.

Cllr Tshifhango said that having a taxi rank at a mall would bring the public, “a space where people do not have to risk their lives to get to work in the early hours of the morning or late at night.” He added that the taxi rank brought jobs to taxi drivers who were unemployed and were just sitting at home.

It also brought convenience to people carrying heavy bags of groceries. “Most of all, a taxi rank like this, just next to a big mall, brings hope and comfort to people who are working until late.”

The Santaco chairperson in Vhembe, Mr Balanganani Shandukani, promised to take good care of the taxi rank and urged members of the public to use the taxi rank.

News - Date: 20 January 2018

Maanda Bele

Maanda  Bele, born and raised in Nzhelele Siloam, studied journalism at the Tshwane University of Technology.

He is passionate about current news and international affairs.

He worked as part of the Zoutnet team as an intern in 2017.

He is currently a freelance journalist specialising in news from the Vhembe district.

Email: [email protected]