The Mamelodi Amalgamated Taxi Association (MATA) unveiled a taxi vehicle buying scheme called MATA Vehicles Scheme on Tuesday at their offices in Silverton, Tshwane.
According to Federated Local and Long Distance Taxi Association (FELDTA) President and also MATA chairman Ben Maredi, the aim of the scheme is to empower their members because some of them cannot buy taxi vehicles through the banks.
“According to the scheme, MATA will purchase taxi vehicles on behalf of the members who are in the association’s taxi buying scheme and they will in turn pay back the money through monthly instalments the amount of which shall depend on how much they can afford”, explained Maredi.
“Today we were handing out the purchased vehicles to the members who are in the scheme and 6 vehicles will be handed out today,” he said.
He further explained that all in all 30 vehicles have been secured for their members and will be handed out in due course.
“As MATA we took the responsibility to approach car dealerships on behalf of our members because they are struggling to purchase the vehicles on their own, and MATA will be responsible for the payment of the vehicles acquired at these dealerships so as to make sure that our name as MATA remains in good standing,” said Maredi.
“It is important that these members are able to access the said vehicles as they are business people who also had to feed their families by means of their taxi businesses,” said Maredi.
He said it is painful to see banks rejecting their members application to buy taxi vehicles and that living without an income is a challenge in life and that is why as an association they have decided to intervene and acquire vehicles on behalf of our members.
Once the members have finished paying up their instalments, then taxi vehicles belongs to them permanently.
Maredi said before handing a taxi vehicle to a member they first look at whether such a member can afford to pay their instalments or not, so as to safeguard their good name with vehicle dealerships.
He further said members must have trust in the association regarding this intervention and in that way the bond between MATA and its members shall be strengthened.
Solly Matjebele of Extension 1 in Mahube has been a member of MATA for 9 years now and has been struggling to buy a car because he was always told by the banks that he doesn’t qualify for a car loan.
“I am happy that MATA has helped me acquire the vehicle that I have been looking for for a long time now,” said Matjebele.
Peter Mashaba told Tshwane Talks that his taxi vehicles were repossessed by the bank due to failure to pay as he couldn’t work for 4 months during the Covid19 pandemic.
“I am very happy and surprised that I am one of the beneficiaries of the MATA taxi vehicles buying scheme,” he said.
Tumisho Mogale of Extension 8 said he actually grew up under MATA where he started as a taxi vehicle washer 7 years ago and today he is a taxi owner.
“I would like to thank Mister Maredi for the taxi vehicle because the one I had before has been stolen,” he said.
David Shongwe of Baviaanspoort said he has been a member of MATA since 2008 and the vehicle he has received from MATA will add to the one that he already has.
“This development regarding the taxi-buying scheme shows that MATA caress about its members,” he said.
Sanah Masemola, who spoke on behalf of MATA women members said as women in the organisation they have been looking for such a vehicle for a long time now as it will help them on trips to far away places and also in other business ventures.
Halfway Toyota Fourways Sales Executive in the taxi industry department Alec Mphela said the following:
“We have been dealing with MATA for over 10 years now and the present Executive Committee members of MATA approached us and showed that some of their members are blacklisted while others are very old and can therefore not qualify for loans from the banks to purchase vehicles when the need arises.”.
He said as a dealership they have what is called “Halfway Finance,” which deals with financing cars particularly in the taxi industry.
“Associations like MATA, which are stable and have a vision, are welcome to approach us with their proposals for vehicle financing and if their proposals make sense then we shall duly help them,” said Mphela.
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