SANTACO announced that it had agreed to move forward with a city-wide strike. What followed was the blockading of vital roads and routes that brought Cape Town’s traffic to a grinding halt.
Tensions have reached a boiling point following heated interactions between police and taxi drivers. Following a rash of taxis impounded by the police, the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) responded by stating that it would immediately enact a Provincial wide stay-away until the 9th of August. Later in the day, a myriad of taxis took to the N2 to form a blockade in an attempt to public transport operations during peak hours.
“The brutality that police & traffic officials of @CityofCT meted on our drivers and vehicles yesterday is a continuation of what appears to be their mission to get rid of the operation of taxis in CT. Unfortunately, commuters are yet again at the receiving end of government’s discrimination towards our industry.” – SANTACO
WATCH: Taxi totalled after being consumed by pothole in Joburg CBD
This resulted in gridlocked traffic across Cape Town and allowed opportunists to damage public transport vehicles, with some instances of buses being set alight alongside one ambulance van being struck with a petrol bomb while it was carrying patients. Motorists across Cape Town were subject to hours of traffic and navigation apps displaying a sea of red.
This is on the N2 at Vanguard Drive. Some of the people pictured here said they had walked from town.
Photo: Qaqamba Falithenjwa#TaxiStrike pic.twitter.com/AAjgKlhHIF— GroundUp (@GroundUp_News) August 3, 2023
Several political figures have publicly condemned the actions and responses of the SANTACO and its drivers. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis commented on the recent strike: “I strongly condemn the violence linked to the SANTACO strike. We won’t tolerate disruption and will hold perpetrators accountable for public violence and damages. We’ll protect commuters and non-striking operators from intimidation. I urge SANTACO and all taxi operators to return to the negotiations so that we can resolve any issues in a peaceful manner, in the interest of all operators and of commuters.”
Related: Renault Oroch set for SA roads!
As of the 4th of August, the following roads in the Cape Town area are closed or are affected by the ongoing strike:
- N2: Closed through Somerset West
- N7 Highway: Closed opposite Dunoon
Alongside these road closures is a spate of instances of violence and unrest. Motorists are urged to be weary on the roads and keep an eye on changing road conditions available on platforms such as TrafficSA.
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