BL Premium reports that the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) says it will not suspend the deadly taxi strike that led to road closures and chaos in Cape Town this week.
The strike, sparked by protests by taxi drivers against a clampdown by city officials against traffic offenders that included impounding their vehicles, disrupted traffic on the N2 highway, causing delays at Cape Town International Airport and schools and clinics to shut. Police minister Bheki Cele said this week the death toll stood at five, with 120 suspects arrested for damaging property, looting and public violence. In a statement late on Wednesday, Santaco Western Cape chair Mandla Hermanus said the strike would go on until the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government instituted a moratorium on impounding taxis. Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis defended taxi impoundments, saying they “turned the tide” of road safety in favour of the city’s residents. Comments to the contrary were made at the weekend by national transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, who called on the city to immediately release all impounded taxis. According to Western Cape mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie, the situation on the province’s roads was calm on Wednesday. The taxi strike has led to absenteeism of more than 50% in key sectors of the economy, with the fishing industry the hardest hit.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sashni Pather, Suthentira Govender & Bobby Jordan at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
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