October 12, 2006
By Ndaba Dlamini
IT'S a clear Tuesday morning and Bara Taxi Rank is abuzz with activity. A steady stream of taxis from across Soweto and beyond adds to the hustle and bustle of one of the most popular places in the township. Smoke from cooking fires swirls through the rank, bringing with it the aromas of braaing cow's head and other township delicacies. Out of the hullabaloo emerges a confident and well-dressed man, holding an object wrapped in plastic.
Muzi Chonco, the winner of the Brandhouse Number One Taxi Driver Campaign, could easily be mistaken for a man holding down a white-collar job somewhere in Sandton. Clean shaven and dressed immaculately in a blue shirt and grey trousers, it is difficult to picture Chonco behind the wheel of a minibus taxi, labouring for 16 hours a day or more transporting passengers between the Johannesburg city centre and Bara Taxi Rank every day of the week.
He unwraps the object. "This is the trophy I won in the taxi driver competition. Look, it has my name written on it," he says, proudly holding aloft the beautifully crafted trophy. Dazzling rays of light bounce from the gold nameplate as it is struck by the bright morning sun. It bears the engraving: Muzi Chonco No 1 Taxi Driver 2006.
Chonco won the trophy, together with R5 000 in prize money, in a competition to find Gauteng's best minibus taxi driver. The competition is sponsored by Brandhouse, the alcoholic beverage company, in conjunction with the Gauteng department of public transport, roads and works. Chonco also won the owner of the taxi, Mboneni Ngobese, R2 500 and his member association, the Bara-City Taxi Association, R2 500.
Three years ago Brandhouse and the provincial department set up the Brandhouse Number One Taxi Driver Campaign. The award ceremony is held in October to coincide with Public Transport Month. The aim of the competition is to influence "taxi driver behaviour by reminding them of their responsibilities to commuters and the larger community", say the sponsors.
Chonco beat 9 999 drivers in Gauteng to win the coveted title. "People were asked to vote for the driver of their choice. They filled out a form where they put down the number plates of the taxi and the owner's name, and they sent SMS messages to the sponsors, Brandhouse."
Those drivers who qualified for the second stage of the competition went on to write a three-page theory test in which they were tested on their ability to identify basic road safety mistakes. The test also covered pre-trip theory. This was followed by a practical test during which the drivers underwent a two-part track and road evaluation examination. Chonco passed all these tests with flying colours.
A father of two boys, Chonco says he hopes to change the perception that taxi drivers are an uncouth bunch of no-good people. He has ideas of establishing a training school for taxi drivers to equip them with skills in handling commuters and in road safety.
"We have to look at the root cause why some taxi drivers behave the way they do," he explains. "Taxi drivers put up with a lot of pressure from passengers and the conditions they work under. They are compelled to drive unroadworthy taxis and consequently get harassed by metro cops, pay fines and, at the end of the day, deposit the stipulated day's earnings with the taxi owner."
Taxi drivers also get paid "peanuts" - "sometimes only R400 a week and these men have to support families. They also work long hours, sometimes up to 20 hours a day. This impacts on their physical and emotional well-being."
Yet Chonco says he does not condone the unruly behaviour of some taxi drivers. He also laments all taxi drivers being painted with the same brush.
"I always say charity begins at home. There are some drivers who are naturally uncouth and those who don't take regular baths. Look at me - I am a taxi driver and I am neatly dressed. Sometimes people ask me whether I am holding on for somebody. My plea to these drivers is that they must know their job is important. They must respect and be proud of their profession."
To help instil this pride in other drivers, Chonco has a vision; he wants to establish a taxi driver training academy ahead of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup. "I have an advanced defensive driving qualification and if the government is willing to help, I would use a certain area I have identified in Pretoria as training grounds."
Chonco plans to use his prize money to "arm" himself with knowledge. "I want to be computer literate and use this knowledge to advance my plans. I am also looking forward to clinching the national taxi driver of the year trophy."
His popularity has soared since he won the provincial award. Almost every day, journalists call him wanting interviews and other drivers at Bara Taxi Rank look at him with awe as he struts through the milling crowd. "I think I should start charging for anymore interviews," he says jokingly.
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