Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has expressed “deep disappointment” in reaction to news that the minibus taxi strike, led by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the Western Cape was continuing on Thursday.
“The poor are suffering the most due to this strike and each day that it drags on is a major setback to them. The impact has been devastating on them and our economy,” he lamented.
Winde highlighted that it is of “utmost importance” that residents be allowed to move freely across the province.
“It is crucial that residents are able to access critical services, such as healthcare, schooling, and social development. The violence that has accompanied the strike and severe disruptions to daily life are an affront to the dignity and rights of our residents,” he said.
However, Winde welcomed Santaco Western Cape’s bid to pursue a court process to interdict the impounding of their vehicles.
“We believe that Santaco Western Cape wants to pursue an interdict against the impoundment of its vehicles. We welcome this move, as it will give clarity and clear up any differences of understanding on the legislation regarding impoundments,” he said.
On Wednesday night, Winde said he had been in a high-profile meeting, including national government representatives as efforts are heightened to end the crippling strike.
“Myself and (provincial) Minister Mackenzie met with the national Minister of Transport Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, and Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, this evening to plot a way forward to work together as different spheres of government that must urgently find an end to the industrial action,” he said.
Meanwhile, Western Cape Provincial Minister for Mobility, Ricardo Mackenzie said a meeting is set to be held today with Santaco.
“We have requested an urgent meeting with Santaco Western Cape, to discuss the agenda of issues to address. We are committed to resolving the challenges facing the mini-bus taxi sector. These are complex issues that will take time to resolve. But we can only overcome them if we work together in the interests of our citizens,” he said.
On Wednesday IOL reported that City of Cape Town’s executive mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis confirmed that the city has impounded “several thousands” of minibus taxis and the vehicles will not be released unless the prescribed impoundment fees are paid to the city.
Hill-Lewis said police officers in the City of Cape Town are “professional” and he would consider releasing any taxi where there is evidence that it was impounded unfairly.
“We will not release them. They will be released when the impoundment fee is paid. What I said is that if Santaco brings me examples of what they claim are examples of malicious or overzealous impoundments, then I will look at those examples and if we agree together that this is in fact an officer that has gone out out of bounds then I will absolutely work to release those,” he said in an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
“But I trust the professionalism of our officers and I think that they do a great job and I suspect we will find very, very few of those out of the many thousands of the impoundments that we have done.”
On the other hand, Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga has accused City of Cape Town of using the wrong by-laws to impound 6,000 minibus taxis.
IOL