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Promises keep coming for R275-million ghost taxi rank

  • A R275-million taxi rank in Thohoyandou has stood empty for 10 years while becoming a haven for crime and dangerous animals.
  • The transport department promises completion by 2026, but locals have lost faith after years of broken promises.

A massive taxi rank built in Thohoyandou for R275 million has been standing empty since 2013.

The white elephant taxi rank has become a home for snakes and criminals instead of helping commuters.

The building sits in the heart of the town but has never seen a single taxi use it. Now, locals want answers about the waste of their tax money.

“I wish I could one day have a face-to-face talk with the relevant authorities regarding this taxi rank so that I can ask them some of the burning questions I have at the moment. I do not understand how a building that has cost millions of rands can be abandoned just like that, without operating even for a single day,” said James Manyama, who fixes cars near the rank.

Last year, Scrolla.Africa reported how the empty building had become a brothel and a public toilet.

But the Limpopo transport department says help is finally coming.

Spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said they will advertise a tender this month to fix the water system.

“The building will be completed in March 2026, and it will not be demolished,” she said.

Chuene said engineers have checked the building and found no major cracks. But locals don’t believe the promises anymore.

Hairdresser Ivy Nemavhulani, who works next to the rank, said they often see large snakes around the building.

“This taxi rank is putting our lives in danger. The building is home to some of the biggest snakes, and they might one day attack some of us who work around the taxi rank. The bushes around it are never maintained or cut down, and they keep on growing,” she said.

She pointed out that the nearby Thavhani Mall was built in 2015 and is thriving. “I don’t even think this taxi rank will ever work. It’s been too long, and nothing is happening,” she said.

Manyama believes something fishy happened with the construction.

“All I hear from my fellow Vhembe residents is that inferior materials were used to construct the building, and that resulted in visible cracks. But if this is the case, why didn’t inspectors pick this up during the early construction days?”

Pictured above: The abandoned taxi rank.

Source: Ndivhuwo Mukwevho