By Buziwe Nocuze
- Codeta’s SA PAY partnership gives registered drivers a R20,000 death benefit at no cost, while passengers qualify for cover after completing ten rides on their card.
- The Road Accident Fund takes three to six years on average to pay out a claim, even after a court has ordered it to do so, according to DSC Attorneys.
Cape Town’s Codeta taxi association is going cashless from 1 June, and it is bringing a death cover with it.
The association has partnered with SA PAY to introduce a digital card payment system for passengers across its routes. Alongside the payment rollout, drivers who register and stay active on the SA PAY platform will receive a R20,000 death benefit. No premiums are required from the driver.
Codeta Secretary Mzwabantu Fayindlala said the benefit is paid as a lump sum to a named beneficiary. To qualify, drivers must be registered and active on SA PAY, permanently reside in South Africa, and be between 18 and 64 years old when they join.
Passengers are also covered, but the benefit is tiered by age and requires a minimum of ten completed rides on a SA PAY card to qualify. Children under one year are covered for R1,875. Those aged one to five receive R3,750. Children aged six to 13 are covered for R7,500, and passengers between 14 and 21 receive R15,000.
Fayindlala said each registered SA PAY user can list up to five people under their account across those categories.
Driver Sonwabo Mkhizwana welcomed the cover but said taxi owners also need to look at what they pay their drivers.
“The cover is good. It is a financial relief for our families,” he said.
Passenger Nokubonga Moni said the benefit means something beyond the money.
“We have lost so many people on the road. The money will not bring them back, but it shows that Codeta cares,” she said.
The cover arrives as road accident victims across South Africa continue to battle delays from the Road Accident Fund. According to DSC Attorneys, RAF claims take three to six years on average to be paid out. That wait continues even after a court has ordered the fund to pay. The RAF says it needs reasonable time to assess liability, process claims and arrange payment before funds are transferred.
For Codeta drivers and passengers, the SA PAY benefit offers a direct payout to a named person, outside that process entirely.
Pictured above: Codeta drivers are happy that they will be covered for R20,000 should they die in an accident.
Image source: Buziwe Nocuze
