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We will not negotiate with ‘taxi thugs’ holding ‘gun to our heads’ – Cape Town mayor
The Western Cape government has dismissed claims that schools were being targeted and burned.
A burnt-out bus and Healthnet taxi on the N2 near Langa on 3 August 2023 in Cape Town. Photo: Gallo Images/Brenton Geach
The City of Cape Town says it will not negotiate with the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the Western Cape while violence persists.
The taxi operators have been protesting since last Thursday over impoundments and alleged assaults by law enforcement officials.
Two people have died, while four buses and two municipal trucks were torched on Monday morning as a result of the strike.
The taxi-related violence has also affected schools and health services across Cape Town due to road closures and blockages.
According to Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith, at least 35 arrests have been made.
‘Violent taxi thugs’
While negotiations between the City of Cape Town, Western Cape government and Santaco seem to have collapsed at this stage, the metro’s mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has condemned the ongoing taxi violence.
“We will not negotiate with a ‘literal’ gun to our heads. There can be no further discussions with local Santaco leadership until their violence stops. Simple. We call on Santaco to stop the violence immediately,” Hill-Lewis said in a statement on Monday.
The mayor stressed that the rule of law was not up for negotiation and further highlighted that the city’s first priority was protecting residents from “violent taxi thugs”.
ALSO READ: Taxi strike latest: Talks collapse, depot petrol-bombed, Golden Arrow interdict, rail services
Hill-Lewis further accused Santaco of making entirely new demands during the negotiations despite last Friday’s “productive meeting” where “constructive proposals were made and agreed to”.
“Santaco is free to end their strike and accept the terms of Friday’s discussion at any time. If Santaco does not choose to end their strike, then we will need to be prepared to stay the course. We are prepared to do so,” the mayor added.
No schools burned
Western Cape premier Alan Winde said he was “angry” about the escalation of violence after ongoing urgent engagements over the weekend.
“We need to end this and we need Santaco to make sure the we bring calm because we cannot be negotiating with them while he see buses being burned and road being blocked. It is just unacceptable,” he said.
Winde said that while any person had the right to strike and protest, they cannot resort to the crime and violence.
The premier chaired a special cabinet meeting to discuss the ongoing taxi strike on Monday. He indicated that his cabinet would continue to meet daily until a resolution was found.
READ MORE: One dead as Cape Town taxi strike turns deadly
Furthermore, Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier has revealed at least 450 000 pupils and 17 000 educators were prevented from getting to school on Monday.
“27 schools had to close today, and a number of other schools allowed learners to leave early if needed,” he said in a statement.
News24 has since reported the provincial government will pursue legal action against the striking taxi operators.
This comes after Golden Arrow Bus Services obtained an interdict against Santaco on Sunday.
Maynier, however, dismissed claims that schools were being targeted and burned.
“No school has reported such an incident. We appeal to the public not to share fake news. Adding to the uncertainty is irresponsible and puts our learners at risk.”
‘Not a terror organisation’
Meanwhile, Santaco Western Cape claimed it was “aggrieved by the perception of the public that we are lawless”, saying it was “not a terror organisation”.
“This perception is being fuelled by protestors and not members of our organisation. We can assure our members that we are hard at work to resolve any and all disputes with the City of Cape Town,” the organisation said on Monday.
The organisation called on its members to conduct themselves “in a peaceful and lawful manner” and to respect the interim interdict that was obtained by Golden Arrow.
RELATED: ‘There is no hope for us’: Santaco taxi stayaway brings Cape Town to standstill
“We do understand that members are understandably upset by the unlawful actions of certain law enforcement officers that damaged taxis and assaulted some of our member’s drivers during the course of last week which in no small part precipitated the stay away action.
“Nonetheless, be very clear, any violent protests are not sanctioned by this organisation. Peace cannot be obtained through destruction and violence. Any such actions are not helpful to resolve our disputes with the City. We ask our members to report any incidents of violence, disruption of public transport services, unlawful blockades and destruction of property,” Santaco continued.
It added that strict disciplinary action will be taken should any member be implicated.
