Western Cape MEC for Mobility Ricardo Mackenzie would give himself a distinction — or eight out of 10 — for his performance in a department that has been in effect since 1 April 2023.

In an interview this week at his Cape Town office, Mackenzie recalled the challenges the province’s transport sector has faced in the past year: increased bus fares, limited improvement of rail transport and a devastating taxi strike.

Read more in Daily Maverick: New Western Cape Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie ‘confident’ he can put brakes on Santaco taxi strike

Transportation in the province previously fell under the ambit of the Department of Transport and Public Works. Then, during his State of the Province Address in 2022, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde announced the new Department of Mobility.

Mackenzie was appointed as MEC for the department in February 2023. One of the immediate challenges he faced was a planned stayaway by the taxi industry, which was, however, called off after negotiations. 

In August, however, the province was hit by a devastating taxi strike.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Western Cape Taxi Strike

“That was a very challenging experience, as you can imagine,” Mackenzie said.

“Strikes are disruptive by nature … that’s why it’s called a strike … but the ensuing violence, the criminality that had been associated with the strike, that was the most disruptive part of it.

“Seeing people walking on the street, walking home that evening — it was extremely concerning … the intimidation of people trying to give people lifts, the intimidation of other taxi drivers who didn’t want to be part of the strike.”

He said he hoped those involved in the strike had reflected on their behaviour, which had been “horrible to see”, and that lessons had been learnt. 

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His department, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) and the City of Cape Town have been working together in the Minibus Taxi Task Team (MTTT) to try to solve some of the problems besetting the industry.

He was proud that the task team had resolved the Brackengate issue, whereby long-awaited permits were issued to taxi operators in a new industrial hub in Brackenfell.

“We’ve managed, through the taxi task team, to resolve that within six months. We give those operators operating in that area permits to ensure that they can never be stopped again or never be impounded again because they do have legal tenure to be there,” he said.  

His department was working to stabilise the taxi industry, but needed the police and prosecuting authorities to combat violence linked to the industry. 

“I think that is one of my personal biggest missions: If we can just stop the violence in the minibus taxi industry,” he said. 

‘I don’t want to see increases’

Turning to bus fares, Mackenzie said the recent 7% increase for commuters using Cape Town’s Golden Arrow Bus Services “was a massive concern”. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: Golden Arrow finds R1.2bn subsidy not enough to ward off 7% bus fare hike

 However, he said, “I know Golden Arrow and even the minibus taxi industry, they’re not doing this in a vacuum. They’re doing it because the input cost of petrol is expensive.

“I’m like anyone else, I wouldn’t want to see increases.”

His team and Golden Arrow were trying to keep fare increases as low as possible, “because we know commuters are struggling. It is terrible out there and it’s even worse now that choices are limited,” he said, referring to the train service being unavailable on Cape Town’s Central Line to areas including Khayelitsha, Philippi and Mitchells Plain. 

‘Things shouldn’t fall apart when different MECs come’ 

Mackenzie is 11th on the DA’s candidates list for the Western Cape in next month’s general election and seems set to return as a member of the provincial legislature. However, it will be up to the premier, likely to be the incumbent, Winde, to decide whether Mackenzie resumes his role as MEC for mobility.

“Obviously, you have to make plans to ensure that whoever comes here must take it forward,” he said. “Things shouldn’t fall apart when different MECs come.”

If Mackenzie were to return, he would continue with the taxi task team; expand the Go George bus service to Mossel Bay; introduce one ticketing option for commuters to use on taxis, trains and buses; and improve the Getting YOU to Work initiative, which is a provincial government pilot project in partnership with the private sector offering jobseekers free travel to interviews on Golden Arrow buses.

Mackenzie rates himself, but ANC doesn’t

Mackenzie would give himself an eight out of 10 for his performance thus far.

“Given it was a taxi strike, given it was the challenges around rail, I think given a new department, new minister, new task team, I think we’ve managed things pretty well.”

However, ANC spokesperson on mobility in the provincial legislature Lulama Mvimbi held a different view.

“The recent appointment of Mackenzie as minister appears to be an attempt to salvage a department that has been plagued by a series of challenges and failures,” he said. 

Mvimbi described Mackenzie’s appointment as “payback for singing to the DA crowd for supper”.

Mvimbi said that despite Mackenzie’s promises and the establishment of the taxi task team, “There seems to be a glaring lack of tangible progress in resolving the longstanding issues plaguing the taxi industry.”

Mvimbi pointed out that taxis were still being impounded and there was still a backlog of permits. There had also been a failure to address fare affordability, which “highlights systemic failures within the department’s approach to managing public transportation.

“Moreover, Mackenzie’s apparent preference for the bus industry over the taxi industry raises questions about the department’s priorities and its commitment to serving the needs of all commuters equitably.

“The reliance on heavily subsidised buses, coupled with the persistent struggles of ordinary citizens to afford transportation fares, underscores a fundamental flaw in the department’s pricing structure and resource allocation.

“In light of these challenges, it’s evident that the Mobility Department and its current leadership are failing to deliver on their mandate to improve transportation services and infrastructure in the Western Cape.” DM