Alderman JP Smith, City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security, says the City will impound 25 vehicles for every truck, bus, vehicle or facility that is burnt or vandalised amid the ongoing taxi strike.
Also read: LEAP officer fatally shot in drive-by shooting during Cape Town taxi strike
As per News24, thousands of commuters were left stranded after the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) announced a taxi stay-away across the province on Thursday. The strike is joined by eight regional associations.
The aftermath included several buses, trucks and other vehicles being torched. A golden Bus driver in Khayelitsha was shot and his vehicle set alight on Friday morning. Furthermore, incidents of burning tyres have also been reported in Atlantis, Bloekombos, Witsand and Borcherd’s Quarry. Another vehicle was set alight in Langa, and stone-throwing along the N7 near Dunoon was reported.
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Smith says the City continues to maintain a high-visibility presence in all hotspot areas and is working closely with the police to monitor and respond to any potential incidents. ‘I have been asked by Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to ensure that the violence caused by some in the public transport sector is met with an appropriate response and to remind them that we will proceed with impounding 25 vehicles for every truck, bus, vehicle or facility that is burnt or vandalised.
‘Escorts of bus services are continuing to ensure a safe passage for commuters. The events that have unfolded since yesterday afternoon only serve to confirm that the taxi industry has no regard for anyone. The callous attacks on other public transport vehicles, infrastructure and road users have sadly become an all too familiar part of their playbook.’
The stand-off between the taxi associations and the City stems from a traffic by-law that gives officers the power to impound vehicles instead of issuing a fine. On Thursday, Santaco, taxi bosses and police minister Bheki Cele held a closed meeting.
According to the minister, he tried to convince the taxi operators to not continue with strike action. ‘We tried to convince them not to continue with the strike. There are three important events happening in Cape Town that we have to protect, like the Netball World Cup, and as police, we are drawn out of our main function to go and deal with this situation. There will be activities around the CBD.’
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Also read:
UK issues travel warning over potential violent protests amid Cape Town taxi strike
