‘Blatant racism’: Tshwane Transport MMC Tlangi Mogale hits the brakes on Afrikaans e-hailing service Wanatu

[Currantly]

The City of Tshwane has expressed disapproval for the Afrikaans-only e-hailing transport service Wanatu, which has been operating in the city.

On Wednesday, the Tshwane Metro Police Department impounded two vehicles on the Wanatu app for not having permits to operate transport services.

City of Tshwane's MMC for Roads and Transport, Tlangi Mogale said another vehicle on the Wanatu platform was also impounded days ago for not having the permit.

Linky

 

[Sideshow Bob]

But no, I am always the victim. My community is always under threat. We are being genocided.

Several vehicles on e-hailing apps including Uber, inDrive and Bolt are playing the hide and seek with police in Tshwane, who intercept the vehicles and impound them for not having the permits to provide transportation services.

 

[Lupus]

Please how is a language racist? Are they assuming?

 

[FiestaST]

Another sauce besides Iqbal Online?

In any case the peanut gallery would cry "racism"

SOSDD.

 

[Temujin]

Afrikaans is not a race you simple simple fool

 

[Cius]

Is the mayor also shutting down the Black business forum? Equally racist no?

 

[wbot]

As we've learned from Lesufi too: Afrikaans is a race lmao.

 

[wbot]

Have to say, can't remember such a bohaai over similar issues with bolt, uber etc etc with photos of their impounded vehicles being posted everywhere, the mayor tweeting about it, news coverage etc etc.

Wanatu has really touched a lot of studios. Wonder why?

 

[gogga_]

Morons in charge of things they don't understand.

 

[now05ster]

As we've learned from Lesufi too: Afrikaans is a race lmao.

You can't fix ignorance, populism, or politician-speak.

 

[Zellephant]

This is all for show. Wanatu has been operating for months already. Then they got some serious media attention, with just enough pushing on the right “racist” buttons to create a storm, and then the corrupt politicians had to act to show they are boss.

The operating permit thing is a long time ongoing issue. The department of transport is unable to issue permits in anything remotely resembling a reasonable timeframe, so loads of Ubers, Bolts, meter taxi’s and so forth also take their chances while waiting for the permits to be issued. As a rule, being able to show proof of having submitted and paid the application fee is sufficient, but a suitably difficult metro cop, who probably owns a few taxis himself, is able to change that tune on a whim.

The media is driving this “Afrikaans Only” drivel so hard as well. How is Wanatu Afrikaans only? The service is open to anyone, and the drivers can also speak English. But they operate in an area where Afrikaans is widely spoken by their customer base, and last time I checked Afrikaans is one of the national languages (3rd most common first language in South Africa, and probably firsts or second most common in their service area). So what does this have to do about race? How is a private company requiring drivers to be fluent in the most common languages spoken by the bulk of their clientele being racist?

Would it be racist if a similar service was started in Durban and required drivers to be fluent in isiZulu?

 

[Zellephant]

Is the mayor also shutting down the Black business forum? Equally racist no?

Haven’t you learned yet, in South Africa only whites can be racist (Coloureds too now, since they are by far the largest group of Afrikaans speakers in South Africa)

It does feel like somewhat of a double standard though. Because this Afrikaans thing seems to be more of a “tribal” thing than a race thing, and yet amongst the other “tribes” in South Africa, the politician don’t seem to think of tribalism as a problem.

 

[ToxicBunny]

The MMC is not helping Tshwane's cause in court with these statements.

Its going to be very easy for Wanatu to prove victimisation at this point.

 

[Foxhound5366]

The big issue here is Wanatu branded their vehicles, Uber doesn’t. If you had to stop every Toyota Corolla or Suzuki Ertiga with a cellphone in a dock, you’d be busy. Brightly branded Wanatu car? Much easier.

 

[Craig_]

But no, I am always the victim. My community is always under threat. We are being genocided.

"Bad things" seems to be happening here.

 

[Ninja'd]

View attachment 1793969
Please how is a language racist? Are they assuming?

Maybe languages themselves aren't racist but I s**t myself when I hear Arabic in a public setting.

 

[Ninja'd]

The big issue here is Wanatu branded their vehicles, Uber doesn’t. If you had to stop every Toyota Corolla or Suzuki Ertiga with a cellphone in a dock, you’d be busy. Brightly branded Wanatu car? Much easier.

They have their cars branded? That's looking for trouble when these taxi drivers are already targeting Uber and Bolt drivers.

 

[Lupus]

Maybe languages themselves aren't racist but I s**t myself when I hear Arabic in a public setting.

Mine is Russian...

 

[wbot]

The big issue here is Wanatu branded their vehicles, Uber doesn’t. If you had to stop every Toyota Corolla or Suzuki Ertiga with a cellphone in a dock, you’d be busy. Brightly branded Wanatu car? Much easier.

That's the thing though.. Bolt and Uber etc vehicles are also being impounded for the exact same reasons as wanatu. Been going on for as long as e hailing services have been there. The media and politicians only care about wanatu though which is a much, much smaller business.

 

[borro]

Afrikaans is not a race you simple simple fool