By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – Grief and anger marked the funeral of slain Qwa Qwa United Taxi Association (QWAUTA) chairperson Matshediso Nteo, as her daughter condemned her killers as “cowards” who hid behind money and hired guns.
Speaking at a packed service at Charles Mopeli Stadium on Saturday, 31 January, a visibly heartbroken Lerato Nteo said her family would never forgive those who murdered her mother.
“They could not face my mother. They used money to send others to kill her,” she said.
“Today we are orphans. My father is gone too. Nothing is well.”
South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) president Mohlabane Tsebe appealed for calm and warned against revenge, while demanding swift investigations and arrests.
“Let us not lie to ourselves and say this is God’s timing. It is criminality,” Tsebe said, adding that the industry was battling criminal elements who reject discipline and the rule of law.
He condemned all forms of violence, particularly against women and children.“How do you gun down a woman in her own home? That is pure cowardice,” he said.
Nteo was remembered as a firm, dedicated and trusted leader who stood her ground despite the challenges of the taxi industry. Tsebe urged the sector not to normalise violence.
“Violence cannot be our culture. Mme Nteo’s life mattered – as a leader, a mother, a sister and a grandmother,” he said.
Thabo Mofutsanyane District Executive Mayor Connie Msibi called on law enforcement to prioritise the case and ensure arrests. She also urged government to review laws to curb rising violence.
Msibi said Nteo’s leadership proved women can lead in strategic positions.
“We will ensure the next chairperson is a woman again,” she said.
Nteo is survived by two daughters, two grandchildren and two siblings.
