A new trend is emerging in Vhembe – the era of the smartly dressed taxi driver, who not only ensures that he drives a clean vehicle but also treats his passengers as valued customers.
If there is one taxi driver who is as smart as a school principal and always as sober as a judge, it is Vhafunzi Vho Ratshivhadelo. He operates under the Mutale Taxi Association and can be found at the Tshilamba Taxi Rank.
Dressed in one of his neatly tailored suits with a matching bow tie, he said being clean and smartly dressed was part and parcel of his life. "I have always been like this since I was young. To me, being clean and smart is not something I can talk about because it is just who I am," he said.
Ratshivhadelo realises that he is somewhat of an enigma, with many other taxi drivers being more of a sight for sore eyes. He believes, however, that it all starts with one good example. "Cleanliness is next to godliness," he said.
Sadly, not all taxi drivers follow his example. In various townships and rural areas across the country, taxi drivers are often nicknamed uMageza eMpompini – literally translated as "a person who only bathes his face at a water tap" – because they usually wake up very early in the morning and rush to work without bathing.
But the example set by Ratshivhadelo and others like him is clearly having an effect. The Dzanani Taxi Association recently issued a stern warning to all drivers to stop wearing shorts and vests while on duty. The association said drivers who failed to comply would face disciplinary action, and the consequences might be severe.
In response to questions this week, the Mutale Taxi Association said it had implemented a dress code more than 10 years ago. Drivers who failed to follow the rules were fined, while some were even banned from working in the association's area.
Speaking to Limpopo Mirror on Monday afternoon, the secretary-general of the Mutale Taxi Association, Mr Tshimangadzo Mphigalale, said a good appearance and good manners were very important.
"Firstly, we wanted to dispel the notion that our drivers do not bath regularly and dress like informal builders. Imagine a driver wearing a vest in such hot conditions like ours, sweating all the way from Niani to Thohoyandou? We had several meetings with them [the drivers] and taught them the importance of respecting their customers by bathing regularly and dressing in a respectful way. Their taxis are their offices, and your office should always be clean and smelling nice," he said.
He added that the association also fined taxi drivers who failed to wash their vehicles, because passengers should always be treated with dignity. "Our commuters are our employers, and we should always treat them like kings. Gone are the days when drivers would shout at passengers like they are children," he said.
Mphigalale also urged passengers to report rude taxi drivers to the association.