The Western Cape High Court has dismissed the South African National Taxi Council’s (Santaco) court application against both the City of Cape Town and Western Cape Government (WCG) and granted the City’s request that the terms of the agreement which ended the taxi strike be made an order of court.
After a tense standoff with the metro, the taxi association filed an application with the Western Cape High Court, seeking an interdict against the City and Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie to follow the terms of the agreement they had signed last week and release the impounded taxis.
Also read: Santaco seeks court action against the City over weekend impoundments
A day after the taxi stay-away was called off and an agreement between the parties was made, 14 taxis were seized over the course of the weekend. One taxi was also apprehended but later released due to a technicality within the National Land Transport Act that did not warrant impoundment.
Santaco filed the interdict application on Wednesday, 16 August.
The taxi association claimed that law enforcement, under the City and MEC’s direction, is singling out the minibus taxi industry and also allegedly operating with quotas for the number of impounded taxis. Santaco asserted that these actions violate law enforcement’s code of conduct and represent arbitrary law enforcement.
In a joint statement welcoming the opportunity to formalise the terms of the agreement, the City and WCG maintained that the 14 impounded taxis were seized for violations of the National Land Transport Act.
According to the High Court’s ruling, the agreement which the government have been communicating is correct and may be permissible in law and not result in the contravention of any law.
Taking to social media, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said: ‘We hope this ends misinformation about the agreement, and that the Task Team can proceed productively.’
BREAKING: Our request to the High Court to make the full agreement an order of court has been agreed to, and Santaco’s interdict has been dismissed.
We hope this ends misinformation about the agreement, and that the Task Team can proceed productively. pic.twitter.com/jRssRmQR1e
— Geordin Hill-Lewis (@geordinhl) August 18, 2023
Also read:
Taxi industry not involved in shooting in Retreat , says Santaco
Picture: @2oceansvibe / Twitter