Having a stall at the taxi rank or next to it is an ideal place to run your business – not only is it one of the busiest places in the townships, but it is also considered to be one of the safest.
However, a Langa vendor has accused taxi bosses at Langa taxi rank of threatening to close his business if he does not pay a “protection” fee.
Sipho Mabuto, who sells toilet paper, said he had been selling at the taxi rank for nearly three years now.
But he said he was shocked when a group of taxi owners visited him two weeks ago at his stall, informing him that he must cough up a protection fee of R15 a week.
The 33-year-old father of one said he was also summoned to their offices at the taxi rank for failing to adhere to their instructions.
He was informed that he was required to pay the protection – if he still had any ambitious of running his businesses at the taxi rank premises.
If he fails to follow their instructions, he would be forced to shut down his business or his goods would be confiscated.
Furthermore, he said, he was told that he had not pay the fee for the past two years – and for that he was fined R500.
Mr Mabuto said they made it clear that this was not a negotiable matter but rather an instruction.
He said all these threats and intimidation will not deter him from continuing with his business and he won’t be forking out his hard-earned cash to pay a protection fee.
He said the premises from where he is trading do not belong to those demanding “protection” but to the City of Cape Town.
Mr Mabuto said he also discovered that some vendors were paying a protection fee to the taxi owners who threatened him.
“They told me that the taxi rank belongs to them. They said no one could tell them what to do there. They said they are government themselves. Should I refuse to pay the fee, they will take my stuff and chase me away. But I said I’m not going anywhere.
“They said If I pay the protection fee I will be protected from anything. They said the fee guarantees my safety during trading hours. They are threatening to kill me should I continue with my business.
“I informed Langa police officers about this matter and wanted to open a case, but I was informed that whatever happens at the rank is none of their business. I was told not to come there again and waste their time,” he claimed.
Mr Mabuto said he used sell fruit and vegetables next to Langa train station for years but when trains started failing to operate as normal his business took a massive knock.
He then decided to pursue his current businesses and things have gone well.
Through his business he said he supports his partner and his child.
He said if business is good he makes R500 plus in a week.
When Vukani contacted Funeko Mnyitika, the chairperson of Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association, he refused to comment on the allegations.
He told Vukani anyone who has a complaint against them must come to their offices.
When pressed to comment, he said he won’t comment on something he knows nothing about and ended the call.
Vukani interviewed four street vendors at the rank to ask if they knew about the alleged protection racket.
While they refused to disclose their identity for fear of intimidation, three of them admitted that they were paying a fee of R25 a week to the taxi bosses at the rank.
They also said they charge you based on what kind of business you are running as there were others who were paying R30 a week.
The fourth vendor said she was not paying any fee and was not aware of a protection racket being run at the rank.
Langa police station spokesperson, Captain Nondumiso Paul, asked Mr Mabuto to visit the station and speak to her directly.