Cape Town - Police remained on high alert in areas identified as hotspots following the deadly shooting of 10 taxi drivers since Friday afternoon in what is believed to be violence over routes between rival Western Cape associations.
The two groups are the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) and Cape Amalgamated Taxi Associations (Cata).
Codeta spokesperson Besuthu Ndungane said a preliminary investigation showed that criminal elements were behind the killings.
Cata spokesperson Andile Semayo said the association’s drivers had been told to stay peaceful and go back to work.
“We are working with the police to restore calm,” he said.
Siphesihle Dube, spokesperson for MEC Donald Grant, said no decision had been taken as yet in terms of the Section 91 (NLTA) notice that was issued indicating the department’s intention to institute “extraordinary measures, which may include rank and/or route closures”.
READ: 10 taxi driver killings at weekend trigger fear
He said the public participation period for comments for the notice closed last Friday.
The comments would be considered together with the outcome of section 7 A (20) of the Western Cape Road Transportation Act Amendment Law hearings that were currently under way, according to Dube.
He said the hearings, which Grant was not part of, began on Monday.
Dube said the transport priority committee, including Department of Transport and Public Works officials, police and City officials, had been meeting regularly since the flare-up of violence.
“The minister himself has met on two occasions with the leadership of Santaco (South African National Taxi Council) and taxi associations operating outside of Delft,” he said.