MAKHADO – The dispute between members of the Louis Trichardt–Pietersburg Taxi Association and the Taxi Forum may result in taxi violence, if it is not resolved soon.

This comes after one of the association's members, Mr BW Makananise, sold a transport permit to Mr LS Makhode, without notifying the association. It was reported that, after realising that he (Makananise) was no longer on good terms with Makhode, he allegedly influenced members of the association to deny Makhode's taxi to operate.

"Why are you denying Makhode's taxi's to operate whilst he bought transport permit from one of your members, Mr BW Makananise. We the community at large know it very well that you are using your drivers to block someone's taxi's business to operate. You Nimrod Munonde, Livingstone Phulwana, Phineas Maluma, Jonas Mugeri, Mathakha Maliaga and Wilson Makananise, should anything happen to Makhode such as assassinating him, damaging his property, you will be accountable together with your lawyer. Allow him to run the taxi business freely, we will march to protest against your taxis and your buses (Munonde and your friends). Because of your stupid pride you undermined the instruction and the meeting of the transport forum," reads the statement distributed by unknown people at the Eltivillas and Makhado taxi ranks.

As the association was denying Makhode's taxi to operate, a letter from Mapogo A Mathamakga dated January 20, 2003, requesting an urgent meeting with the association to discuss the matter and to get clarity about their client's vehicles, which had not been not operating since November 2002, while in possession of a transport permit from one of the association members, was received by the association. However, the association refused to enter into negotiations with Mapogo.

In an attempt to resolve the matter, the Louis Trichardt–Pietersburg association took the issue to the Vhembe District taxi council, which requested them to hand over their original operating permits, but to their surprise, they received a list with names of taxi owners who are not affiliated with their organisation.

While they were still battling to resolve Makhode's issue, they were grumbling that Mr Wilson Musandiwa was causing disorder at the taxi rank. They said that Musandiwa, who has an operating permit from Makhado to Gauteng, when there are no passengers to Gauteng, operates from Makhado to Pietersburg by force. As a result, the association was prompted to find an attorney, Mr Leon Klaff, as their representative and on September 23, Klaff sent a letter to the Vhembe Region 4 Taxi council containing the grievances between his clients and Mr Musandiwa, as the taxi council was taking too long to address the problem.

A fortnight ago, a queue marshal, Mr AM Siphei, was threatened with his life and one of his eyes was injured during a scuffle with Mr Musandiwa.

On January 23, Mirror learnt that members of the Louis Trichardt-Pietersburg Association walked out of the meeting with the Taxi forum at the Makhado Municipal Library, after their attorney, Mr Leon Klaff, was denied entry into the meeting room. "The association cannot allow new members as it is full, and taxis wait three to four days to get a load," said one of the association members known Mirror.