Following violent clashes with authorities this week, the provincial executive committee of South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO-WC) met with several other taxi associations in Makhaza, Khayelitsha on Thursday morning to discuss the incident and ongoing taxi impoundments in Cape Town.
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During the meeting, the chairperson of SANTACO, Mandla Hermanus, told members that a stay-away was the only solution.
All taxis were then recalled shortly before peak hour traffic on Thursday afternoon.
In a statement following its mass meeting, SANTACO-WC said it resolved the following actions to be taken:
- The Taxi Industry in the Province will be embarking on a Provincial wide stay-away, which will commence on 3 August [from 3pm] until 9 August 2023.
- During this stay-away there will be no march or any form of protests that will take place. All operations will stop and we have urged our operators to refrain from any acts of violence and threatening behaviour.
- Normal taxi operations will resume Thursday, 10 August, after which we will make further announcement on the way forward.
The taxi association said the decision had ‘not been taken lightly, but as an industry [it is] left with no other option but to embark on this stay away due to the frivolous impoundment operations run by Government’.
SANTACO added that these impoundments negatively impacted its operators and industry, arguing that ‘these operations are nothing more than a deliberate attempt to destroy the taxi industry in the province with no regard to the impact that this action will have on the communities [the industry] services’.
The association also pulled out of the provincial transport task team last week, initially formed to deal with the Western Cape’s public transport issues.
Following the recall of all taxi operations, however, several incidents of violence and vandalism ensued across Cape Town.
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In response to the escalation of the stay-away and subsequent protest violence, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed his strong condemnation:
I condemn in the strongest terms the violence and the lawlessness associated with the SANTACO strike action initiated this afternoon.
Our officers will work with the SAPS to enforce the law and hold anyone guilty of perpetrating public violence accountable. We will also not hesitate to lay civil claims for any damages to infrasructure resulting from the strike.
While we respect the right to peaceful protest, violence and intimidation have no place in Cape Town. This must be a law-abiding city.
City authorities are on high alert and we will not accept the blockading of routes and violent intimidation of peaceful commuters and non-striking tranport operators…
I urge SANTACO and all taxi operators to return to the negotiations so that we can resolve any issues in a peaceful manner, in the interest of all operators and of commuters.
I strongly condemn the violence linked to the SANTACO strike 🚕🚨
We won’t tolerate disruption and will hold perpetrators accountable for public violence and damages.
We’ll protect commuters and non-striking operators from intimidation. #TaxiStrike pic.twitter.com/6BfdNzftGN
— Geordin Hill-Lewis (@geordinhl) August 3, 2023
Also read: Opposition parties condemn City’s heavy-handedness with taxi operators
SANTACO claimed that a provincial task team set up to solve long-standing issues in the industry has been a waste of time, reported EWN, adding that its relationship with the provincial government had worsened since the task team was formed.
City of Cape Town stated that it is in the process of seeking an urgent interdict against the violence together with the Western Cape Government.
Hermanus said the stay-away would continue until next Wednesday.
In response to a tweet from the Department of Transport, SANTACO commented that ‘statements of condemnation can only do so much’ and that the ministry should join them on the ground in resolving the impasse.
We kindly urge that your Ministry joins us on the ground and plays a central role in resolving the impasse in the Western Cape. Statements of condemnation can only do so much. Our commuters don’t deserve these inconveniences. https://t.co/Dxs06jYrxN
— SANTACO (@SA_Taxis) August 3, 2023
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Picture: @TrotskySA / Twitter