Africa-Press – South-Africa. The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) and transport authorities are in for a long night to try and get taxis back on the road for Thursday’s commute in Cape Town after a week-long stayaway over impoundings by the City of Cape Town.
Santaco Western Cape chair Mandla Hermanus said they wanted assurances that there would not be mass impoundings if they returned on Thursday, while the mayor of Cape Town has said that only those violating the law are at risk of this.
But relations between the parties were raw after an exhaustive week of extreme violence in some sectors of Cape Town, where ordinary drivers had rocks thrown at them, Golden Arrow buses were damaged while they tried to pick up the slack, and several people were killed.
Speaking on the sidelines of a prayer meeting at St George’s Cathedral in the Cape Town CBD, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis was resolute that law enforcement would continue impounding vehicles operating outside of the law.
But the spectre of a statement by Safety MMC JP Smith last week that 25 taxis would be impounded per vehicle damaged during stayaway action hung menacingly, and Hill-Lewis was put on the spot to say whether he had ordered this.
Skirting around the issue of the number set by Smith at first, the mayor finally said: “Mandla [Hermanus] has just asked me, and I say it again, those that are involved will be impounded. We have no interest in going out to do malicious or vindictive impoundments.”
Hill-Lewis said the National Land Transport Act (NLTA) Section 87 have the City the power to impound vehicles.
He said the impoundments were not being done using by-laws. The City had gazetted bylaws in July, under the Constitution and the NLTA, which deal with process relating to requirements and infringement processes for all road vehicle users, including passengers.
Hill-Lewis said the 1 August operation by law enforcement to stop a taxi blockade near the station deck should be seen in the context of a gun being present in the melee, and that taxi workers had locked themselves in their vehicles and would not move them.
Stun grenades were fired to clear the road. On 3 August, talks with a task team to resolve the impounding issues broke down, and taxis withdrew their services.
Speaking after Hill-Lewis, Hermanus said Santaco was having another meeting at 16:00, followed by a meeting with the transport minister, then another Santaco meeting.
He said:
“Everything will depend on the engagement.”
Hermanus added that it would be better if the focus was on the people committing the crimes that were causing the impoundments, rather than confiscating the vehicles.
Fifty-three taxis were impounded on Thursday alone after a blockade near Borcherds Quarry near Cape Town International Airport.
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