Police Minister Bheki Cele said on Tuesday that ‘people must swallow their pride, come together and resolve this issue’, calling for cooperation between the Cape Town government and taxi operators as the taxi strike entered its sixth day.
Also read: Taxi strike update: Violence flares up in parts of Cape Town
This follows shortly after Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga called for the immediate release of impounded taxis in her address on Tuesday.
Addressing the media, Cele confirmed that five people have died amid violence seemingly related to the taxi strike, ten Golden Arrow buses have been torched and several incidents of looting, stone throwing and vandalism have occurred since last Thursday, when taxi operators suspended their services across the province.
Among the five deaths is a 40-year-old British national who was shot and killed on Thursday by the UK Foreign Office, as well as a Cape Town Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officer who was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting.
Both incidents occurred in Nyanga.
The United Kingdom (UK) has issued a warning to travellers following the ongoing taxi strike in Cape Town, which was listed as a high-security threat for tourists visiting the country.
Cele also confirmed that police are investigating all reported acts of violence and murders. One hundred and twenty suspects have been arrested for damaging property, looting and public violence since protests escalated last week.
Five people have been arrested for looting a mall in Gugulethu on Tuesday. Looting was also reported in Nyanga, Mfuleni and Kraaifontein on Monday.
#sapsWC [UPDATE] #SAPS deployments have responded to incidents of looting at certain shopping malls in Gugulethu, Nyanga, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni and Kraaifontein this afternoon. In Gugulethu five suspects were arrested for the possession of suspected stolen property, and are being… pic.twitter.com/ihowp5LuWZ
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) August 7, 2023
Previously, the City indicated that it wouldn’t be part of any negotiations if the violence didn’t stop and reiterated its call on SANTACO to ‘return peacefully to the negotiation table’.
Cele said the refusal of city officials to negotiate is affecting ordinary citizens and children who cannot attend school.
‘And everybody must come down on their high horse. Everybody must swallow their pride and everybody must stop being arrogant,’ said Cele.
‘This is happening not at the expense of those who are refusing to resolve the matter, it’s an ordinary black child who can’t go to school.’
Also read:
EFF WC condemns City of Cape Town for victimisation of taxi industry
Picture: @MmusiMaimane / Twitter
