May 13, 2008

Baby face hits the road in taxi

A FREELANCE journalist took pictures of a child driving a taxi full of drunken passengers in Mdantsane at the weekend. The boy, who was estimated to be about 13 years old, was spotted by Grahamstown-based journalist Zongezile Matshoba on Sunday afternoon.

Matshoba said he was near Mdantsane prison when he saw the taxi, which was either from King William’s Town or East London.

He said when the boy saw him taking pictures, he at first showed interest. “But once I started asking questions the … passenger sitting next to him, presumably the real driver with a 750ml open bottle of beer, told him to drive off. They sped off towards NU13,” he said.

Matshoba managed to capture three pictures showing the baby- faced driver hunched over the steering wheel, barely able to see over the dashboard and clearly straining to reach the pedals.

He took down the vehicle’s registration number which the Dispatch traced to the owner, who could not be reached for comment.

Mdantsane Taxi Forum chairperson Gabs Mtshala said it was reckless of the driver to hand over the taxi to a minor. “Anything could have happened, and whether the boy can drive or not, that was unacceptable,” he said, speculating that the child could have been the conductor.

“Taxi drivers usually let these boys drive when they are drunk and the owners should refrain from doing so.” Such actions not only put the lives of the passengers at risk, but also those of other road users.

Police spokesperson Leon Fortune said “it is a serious crime”. - By SINO MAJANGAZA

http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=201202