Political parties in the Western Cape have reacts to standoff between CT's law enforcement officers and taxi operators

Various political parties in the Western Cape have reacted to the standoff on Tuesday between the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement officers and taxi operators.

Tensions were high on Tuesday afternoon, as minibus taxi operators on blocked roads around theStation Deck, leaving many commuters head in their hair on how they will travel home. This after City of Cape Town Law Enforcement officers impounded about fifteen taxis.

Stun grenades were used, and on videos gone viral, law enforcement using force against taxi operators, who allegedly refused to cooperate.

South African National Taxi Council – Western Cape (SANTACO – WC) suspended its participation in the Minibus Taxi Task Team, citing two reasons: firstly, the “increase and continuous impoundments of vehicles”, and secondly, “lack of progress on issues tabled”.

PICTURE: @Arrive_Alive

ANC Western Cape believes that officers allegedly assaulting taxi operators are a human rights violation and could lead into racial division.

‘’Yesterday's [Tuesday’s] actions represent the apartheid-inspired dictatorial and divisive modus operandi of the DA when dealing with matters affecting the poor and working class in the Western Cape. Mini-bus taxi operators have been in constant engagement with the City, demanding that working cars should not be impounded while the process of waiting for their permits is still ongoing,’’ said Neville Delport, ANC Western Cape Provincial Secretary.

‘’Notwithstanding the ANC's advice, the DA-led administration, like the apartheid government, responded with violence instead of constructive dialogue. In fact, to date, the City have failed to respond to a memorandum from the taxi industry. We are not surprised by these actions twenty-nine years into our democracy. The DA has always disregarded black lives in general and African lives in particular,’’ he added.

Delport believes that this tension could further incite violence.

‘’We call on all relevant stakeholders to urgently convene and resolve the matter before we lose the lives of innocent people. The ANC will play an active role with its alliance partners in this intervention as it did last year.

The victims of the City's reckless behavior are people trying to make a daily living and already commuting from afar. People were left stranded. They went home late and this exposed them to crime,’’ added Delport.

The GOOD party says this standoff could have been avoided if the City had not introduced new rules to its traffic by-laws.

‘’The dispute may have come to a head but the reality is this tension has been simmering since the introduction of the city’s new by-laws. It was only a matter of time before it reached boiling point. The new by-laws allow the city to impound vehicles rather than fining drivers for breaching any rules,’’ said Jonathan Cupido, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor.

‘’The laws were created to ensure the city has safer roads for all users, they should never be abused to target a specific industry. The by-laws were in discussion since 2021 and were promulgated in 2022 by the Western Cape Government. But it is clear the taxi industry does not feel they were engaged fully prior to the implementation of the city’s by-laws,’’ he added.

Cupido says he agrees that rules need to be in place for safer transport, but says all transport industries needs to be included and not just taxi’s.

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) says it will engage with taxi operators.

“For a long time, the taxi industry has suffered victimisation from the Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town. The City of Cape Town deliberately delays the issuance of taxi operating permits in order to frustrate taxi operators, as taxis compete directly with municipally funded buses, from which the city does not directly benefit,’’ said Ntsikelelo Tyandela, EFF WC Regional Chairperson.

“The EFF stands strongly opposed to the harsh and newly enacted by-laws that empower officers to impound a taxi instead of issuing a fine. The recent passing of by-laws by the City of Cape Town further aggravates the already damaged relationships between the City and the taxi industry. As a result, the officers have gone beyond the by-laws and impound taxis for reasons not specified in the by-laws.”

“As a result, the EFF will hold meetings with the taxi operators and suggest a possible way forward as sympathisers of the injustice against the industry. If the DA refuses to cooperate with taxi operators and stakeholders, we will be left with no choice but to confront the City of Cape Town head-on,’’ he added.

A delegation of SANTACO National Executive Committee will hold a  meeting with stakeholders of the taxi industry and Local and Provincial Government in the Western Cape on Thursday to find a resolution.

 

Done By: Mitchum George