Cape Town - Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) drivers arrested for attempted murder following the taxi violence have been set free.
The 23 men were due to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Thursday but the matter was struck off the roll for further investigations.
The men were arrested on Tuesday when 10 taxis from Cata's Nyanga operations drove past the Delft taxi rank and allegedly fired several shots.
Outside court, scores of taxi drivers showed up to support their colleagues.
This followed a tense situation at the Delft taxi rank where Delft Taxi Association (DTA) members promised “bloodshed” if Cata members operated from the Delft rank.
A Cata taxi was towed away after it had been stoned.
Police spokesman Brian Daniels said the rank had been closed due to the unrest.
“No incidents have been reported since Thursday morning when the taxi was stoned – not shot at – around 6am.
"We have more than enough police vehicles in the area. We are ready and able to defuse any situation,” he said.
Cata chairman Victor Wiwi said they had heard that one of their taxis had been shot at in Delft but that no one had been injured.
Nazeem Daniels, DTA chairman and interim chairperson of the Delft Taxi Council, said there was tension in the area.
He had also heard gunshots but could not say who had fired them.
Daniels added that the Delft Taxi Council elections, where the DTA would have acquired control over the local industry, had been postponed for 14 days.