Neither law enforcement nor taxi bosses appeared able to handle the unrest and chaos that broke out in various parts of the city when shops were looted, property damaged and cars stoned following taxi
drivers downing tools early yesterday.
There were just too many incidents that broke out in too many areas, said Besuthu Ndungane, spokesperson for the Minibus Taxi Task Team representing disgruntled taxi owners.
He condemned the violence, saying it was an opportunistic criminal element that had taken advantage of the
situation.
The strike action brought the city to a near-standstill and resulted in thousands of commuters being stranded.
Buses were the major target. Golden Arrow Bus Services confirmed 10 of their drivers and about 10 passengers were injured when the buses they were travelling in were stoned.
In a MyCiTi bus that was being stoned in Khayelitsha, a pregnant commuter fell and was badly injured. Her top was blood-stained.
It was a free-for-all when some shops along Govan Mbeki Road in Philippi were looted and police had to use rubber bullets to disperse the unruly crowd.
A dairy truck was also set alight by the looters, motorists driving branded cars were stoned and rubbish bins thrown into the roads.
The hot spots for stone throwing were the corner of Borcherds Quarry and Klipfontein roads, Amsterdam Road and Govan Mbeki Road, which was closed to traffic for most of the day. The N2 at the R300 was closed for several hours and traffic was diverted after a MyCiTi bus was set alight.
Dunoon in Milnerton was also volatile as residents burnt tyres in the road and stoned law enforcement officials.
Several MyCiTi buses and a Golden Arrow bus were set alight.
Taxi bosses cited the reasons for the strike as their unhappiness over delayed provincial leadership elections, impounding of minibus taxis and exorbitant traffic fines. They claimed they were being targeted.
The strike was called off at midday yesterday following a meeting between Transport MEC Donald Grant and taxi owners.
Grant said at the centre of the strike was a dispute over internal Santaco (South African National Taxi Council) constitutional processes.
He said while many of the taxi bosses’ concerns were yet to be resolved, there was agreement that both parties would “willingly and freely enter a departmentally facilitated mediation process, as well as inform all their members to cease strike action with immediate effect”.
Ndungane said the strike had been called off after Grant “agreed to put a mechanism in place to respond to our demands”.
“The negotiations are ongoing, but the strike is off. Taxis are operating as normal,” Ndungane said
Golden Arrow Bus Services (Gabs) spokesperson Bronwyn Dyke-Beyer said where it was not safe, buses were diverted.
“It’s a difficult balancing act between getting passengers as close to home as possible and ensuring the safety of staff and passengers.”
Owen Moyo, the manager of JHB Traders, the shop looted in Philippi, said he lost close to R100 000 in stock and his building was damaged.
“It’s unfair that shops owned by foreign nationals are always the target when there are
protests aimed at government,” he said.
Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith said because of the violence the Joint Operations Centre had to be activated.
Cosatu regional secretary Tony Ehrenreich also condemned the violence.
“Cosatu is concerned about the state of public transport for working families in the city and the Western Cape.
"The authorities have no regard for the amount of money workers lose due to arriving late at work and having to fund alternative transport, as well as the hardships they have to endure
(generally because of) a bad public transport system,” he said.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk confirmed they had not received reports of deaths.
Several people were arrested in Philippi for looting shops and damaging property.