Raphael Wolf and
Carlo Petersen
RIOT police fired stun grenades in the CBD yesterday to disperse protesting taxi drivers who used their vehicles to block the intersection at Strand and Adderley streets.
The grenades were fired after a police officer, identifying himself as “Prins” gave protesters 15 minutes to disperse.
Protesters refused to move their taxis and to go to the Cape Town Central police station for talks with City and Traffic Department representatives. A taxi driver was arrested.
Before the shooting, ANC Western Cape spokesperson Yonela Diko tried to mediate by proposing the release of taxis that had been impounded. He said the issue of taxi permits had become a political one.
Protest leaders, who said they were from the Central Unit Taxi Association (CUTA), which operates a taxi rank next to Woolworths in Strand Street, said they were protesting against ongoing taxi impoundings.
“There were about eight taxis impounded from early this morning at various points,” said spokesperson Jonathan Swartz.
He showed the Cape Times a letter, signed by the City’s Melissa Whitehead on February 18, 2013, in which drivers were permitted to operate a taxi service until March 10, 2014, “or until such time as various issues can be amicably resolved”.
Swartz said they had challenged a taxi impounding that took place after March 10, 2014, in court and the court had ordered the release of the taxi without the driver having to pay a release fee.
Traffic Chief Merle Lourens told protesters the March 10, 2014, letter had been superceded by one allowing them to impound the taxis.
City traffic spokesperson Richard Coleman confirmed in a statement that the City went back to court where it received an order to impound taxis for violating the law.
“We had dealt with that matter already and had issued the taxi bosses with letters to warn them to act within the law or face their vehicles being impounded,” he said.
Coleman said they arrested people for outstanding warrants valued at R72 950 during yesterday morning’s operation. “Officers also impounded 10 taxis and issued 58 fines for various other offences. Nine of the impoundments were for operating without valid permits, and one for operating in contravention of the permit,” Coleman said.