Taxi strike begins immediately across Western Cape, ranks emptied over by-law clash with City

Santaco Western Cape chairperson Mandla Hermanus said it was better for their vehicles to be pulled out of all the ranks in the province than being impounded by officials. 

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The move comes after tension between City of Cape Town officials and taxi operators soared on Wednesday when a taxi driver was shot by a traffic official.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Chaos, arson and threats of legal action after Cape taxi drivers begin strike

“Santaco has resolved that our vehicles should be pulled from all the ranks wherever they are in the province this afternoon and be parked at homes until the 9th.” 

Tensions between the City of Cape Town and taxi operators have been simmering over a new by-law that gives power to the municipality to impound vehicles rather than fining drivers for offences such as not displaying registration plates, being unlicensed, overloading and failure to stop when instructed to do so by an officer.

Taxi drivers in the Cape Town CBD on 1 August 2023 when taxi drivers and law enforcement officials clashed over over the impounding of minibuses. (Photo: Gallo Images / ER Lombard)

The violence on Monday prompted Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga to “strongly” discourage and condemn “any form of violence from all parties involved in dealing with this impasse”.

The minister “recognises the vital role” of the taxi industry, but “resorting to violence and acts of aggression not only undermines the rule of law but also jeopardises the safety and well-being of passengers, law enforcement officials, and innocent bystanders”.

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Chikunga urged “all stakeholders to work together and find common ground, without resorting to violence, in order to speedily address the challenges faced in the taxi industry”, and called on the taxi industry “to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations governing their operations”.

During Thursday’s meeting, Hermanus said the City of Cape Town has no intention of forming a working relationship with the taxi industry. He said they do not support the breaking of the law but accused the municipality of trying to stop the industry from operating at all. 

An officer was allegedly assaulted during a standoff between law enforcement and taxi drivers as taxis were impounded in the City of Cape Town on 1 August 2023. (Photo: Ziyanda Duba)

“If a driver breaks the law, why is the taxi getting impounded? The driver is the offender, now as a taxi owner I lose my vehicle when they should have fined a driver.” 

Taxi associations from across the province were asked to vote on when the strike should begin, and the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) voted that it begin immediately (Thursday). Other responses include:

• The Two Oceans taxi association said it should have started on Wednesday;


• The Mitchells Plain association said said it supported the strike;


• The Northern region said it must start immediately;


• The Boland region supported the stayaway, saying it was ready;


• The Greater Cape Town region said the strike should start immediately after Thursday’s meeting; and


• The Eden region (Plettenberg Bay, George, Knysna, Beaufort West) supports the strike.

Word of the strike spread swiftly, and by lunch time on Thursday the taxi rank at Cape Town Station was closing down, as police maintained a presence. The rank in Masiphumelele too was emptying.

By 4pm, there were no more taxis at the rank and commuters rushed to a nearby bus station to get buses home. Bus company Golden Arrow had asked for patience as traffic caused delays on all major routes.

Roads that were affected on Thursday include:

• The N2 inbound was closed at Jakes Gerwel Drive.


• The N2 outbound was closed at the M5. Motorists travelling on the N2 were being diverted on to the M5 southbound.


• Jakes Gerwel Drive was closed between the R300 and Govan Mbeki Road.


• Jakes Gerwel Drive was closed at Bluegum in a northerly direction.

All the affected roads were reported to have been reopened on Thursday night.

The strike will last until 9 August, Santaco said. DM