'Mechova' in blue number plates
Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Rows of taxis can be seen at this bus rank waiting for passengers. To these innocent souls, any car that they see at the rank with a blue number plate and names of the permit holder nicely engraved on the sides or doors of this taxi qualifies to be a taxi.
Little do they realise that some of these cars that bear these trademarks or features are not legal taxis but illegal ones that have found their way into the taxi rank by dubious means.
Instead, it has sparked a storm of accusations, denials, and unresolved questions about the influence of De Beers on the nation’s politics. Former president Mokgweetsi Masisi’s claims that the diamond giants bankrolled his removal to dodge taxes – and that the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government watered down a favourable diamond deal – are explosive matters. But without evidence, they risk becoming a toxic distraction from...