Taximen beg church to pray for them

Speakers at Mbona’s funeral say industry bosses live in fear

NELSON Mandela Bay taxi bosses have begged churches to pray for them, saying they fear for their lives following the murder of Sandi Mbona last week. Emotional and teary-eyed, Laphum’ilanga Taxi Cooperative chairman Mthuthuzeli Madwara led the pleas for divine intervention while addressing mourners at Mbona’s funeral service.

Hundreds of mourners packed the Arthur Wellington Methodist Church in New Brighton on Saturday, with some listening in on the service from outside the building as cars lined the entire Aggrey Road.

“I want to say it to you officially. We are pleading with the church to pray for us. This time we need you,” Madwara said.

“In fact, we need God’s intervention. We have tried on our own but we did not succeed.

“We don’t know who will be next after this. I am [being] honest before you church leaders.”

Mbona, 69, a former Port Elizabeth District Taxi Association (Pedta) chairman, was gunned down at his New Brighton home last weekend in a suspected hit that his colleagues believe to be linked to his involvement with the association and his attempts to regain his position as chairman of the organisation.

Uncedo Taxi Association boss Phindile Goqoza said the senseless deaths in the taxi industry were due to nothing but greed.

“It is hard for me to speak here because our industry is very cruel,” he said.

“We are probably the second-biggest industry after the mines in this country – we transport over 50 million [passengers] a day, but we are killing each other.

“We need a special day to pray for this industry. We cannot continue like this.”

Mbona, who could be the latest victim of death squads believed to be behind the murders of at least 13 taxi bosses, had lived in fear for years as a result of the killings of several Pedta officials.

Mbona was described as a God-fearing man, role model and gentleman by friends and family.

Paying tribute to their father, Mbona’s eldest and youngest sons, Andile and Siyabulela Mbona respectively, became very emotional as they remembered his teachings.

“Dad, it is hard to understand why you had to leave. I was still learning from you, but I will not disappoint you. “I will look after Mom,” Siyabulela said. Andile said: “Dad used to say a man must stand up for himself. I did not like school and he used to tell me, ‘Mfondini, one day you will have your own family. You need to stand up’.”

Clergy, deacons and preachers of the Arthur Wellington Methodist Church said the church had lost a committed man who always cared about the development of the church.