- Title
- The rise of ‘violent non-state actors’ in South Africa: an analysis of the taxi industry in the Eastern Cape Province
- Creator
- Mato, Myalezo
- Subject
- Transportation and state -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape.
- Subject
- Black people -- South Africa -- Economic conditions.
- Subject
- Taxicabs -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape.
- Date
- 2024
- Type
- Doctoral theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28979
- Identifier
- vital:75701
- Description
- This study investigated the rise of ‘violent-non state actors’ in South Africa, with specific focus on the taxi industry in the Eastern Cape Province. Contemporary South Africa has been a playground for violent non-state actors often evidenced by sporadic service delivery protests and gun violence in public spaces. Many authors attribute these to the failure of the state to provide public services such as security, water, employment, etc. Amongst these non-state actors, are taxi associations called mother-bodies. The deregulation of the taxi industry by the then apartheid government in 1987 resulted in the exponential inflow of previously oppressed black people into the taxi industry, which had now become the most accessible form of informal business for previously disadvantaged people. This resulted in the formation of many mother-bodies that subsequently became ‘law unto themselves’ due to the absence of formal state regulation amongst other things. Since then, violent conflicts amongst these mother bodies have become the order of the day. The study sought to determine the commuter’s perspectives about the taxi industry and violence in the Eastern Cape Province, to determine ways in which the taxi industry has challenged the monopoly of the state over the legitimate use of force and to explore the reasons why taxi violence has largely gone unchecked by the state. Part of the key findings of the study were that there is a general sense of fear and insecurity amongst commuters especially female commuters who use taxis. Various cases of sexual assault, intimidation and psychological traumas caused by exposure to violence amongst commuters have been reported. It has also been determined that in order to effectively challenge the monopoly of the state over the legitimate use force, some taxi operators have resorted to the use of self created laws to intimidate their competitors, use of mafia-like tactics, extortion and coercion amongst other things in order to impose monopoly over some lucrative routes, individuals and associations. In resolving some of these challenges, the study inter alia recommends for the formalization of the taxi industry by government, which will result in the subsidisation of the industry.
- Description
- Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2024
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (xi, 260 leaves)
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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UFH Department of Political Science
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details | SOURCE1 | MYALEZO MATO THESIS.pdf | 82 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details |