Officials play blame game over Western Cape taxi strike as commuters suffer

While Tuesday was a far quieter day on the streets of the Western Cape, politicians from the national government and the City of Cape Town blasted each other over the volatile taxi strike.

City officials maintained the law was being enforced, but Police Minister Bheki Cele and Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga insisted their approach to the dispute was defined by “arrogance”.

A normally reserved Chikunga launched a blistering attack on Cape Town officials during a media briefing in Johannesburg.

“The MMC responsible for safety and security in the Western Cape said that for one truck that is burned, they are going to impound 25 taxis,” said Chikunga, in reference to JP Smith’s comments last week.

Smith said at the time he had been asked by Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to ensure that violence in the public transport sector was met with an appropriate response. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: Taxi industry and City of Cape Town harden their stances amid strike violence and mayhem

“No, you cannot say that,” Chikunga said.

“As wrong as it is to torch taxis, you cannot, therefore, say [that you must impound taxis] randomly because you are confirming the fact that it is alleged that your impoundment is not referred by any law. You are just doing it. And this is what is frustrating the taxi industry,” the minister added. 

“The City is so arrogant [that] they decided they are not going to participate in the negotiations,” she said.

The City and the Western Cape government have been in negotiations with the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco), which is leading the strike. The City has made several concessions, but negotiations have so far failed to resolve the dispute and officials have withdrawn while the violence continues.

Chikunga said she would return to Cape Town on Tuesday afternoon to continue negotiations.

She did not mince her words when it came to Smith: “To that JP Smith, you are not the law, you are simply an MMC, and if everybody in the Western Cape is afraid of you, we are not afraid of you.” 

During the briefing, Chikunga urged the City to return to the negotiating table to “address the areas of disagreement and demonstrate a genuine effort to find a lasting resolution to the current challenges”.

She then called on the City to release all impounded taxis without any conditions. 

In response, Smith asked whether the minister was “trying to incite further violence by making false statements”. 

He claimed that “no minibus taxi has ever been impounded within Cape Town, because of a by-law”.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Why Santaco views taxi strike as more than just a fight against a new City of Cape Town by-law

The City maintains it has been impounding taxis under the national Land Transport Act and not its new by-law.

Hill-Lewis said it would be “outside of the law” for the City to release vehicles that have been impounded for a traffic offence, as only the “director of public prosecutions can do that”. 

Hill-Lewis said: “Asking me to do that is asking us to disregard the law. The minister doesn’t have that power. I don’t have that power, and frankly, it’s surprising that a minister of state would make such a call, or, in fact, a demand that someone should ignore the law and ignore her own Act.”

Cele briefing 

Accusations of arrogance also emerged during Police Minister Bheki Cele’s briefing at the Cape Town station deck on Tuesday afternoon.

The regular taxi commuters were replaced by a large security detail as well as officials from the City, including Hill-Lewis and Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagan Allen. 

Cele confirmed that five people had died in the violence related to the taxi strike.

Police Minister Bheki Cele speaks to the media about the #TaxiStrike and its impact on policing and crime. @dailymaverick pic.twitter.com/FNprEWRXCC

— Suné Payne (@SunePayne) August 8, 2023

He said 120 people have been arrested since 3 August on various charges including malicious damage to property, public violence and looting. 

Fifty-three taxis have been impounded. 

City officials questioned why Cele was present at Santaco’s meeting on 3 August in Khayelitsha. The strike was declared after the meeting. Cele said he was approached by community members to attend the meeting.

“At no point will I, as national minister of police, agitate for a strike, as has been suggested by officials of the City of Cape Town,” Cele said. 

The minister’s briefing turned tense as Cele and Hill-Lewis both kept trying to get their point across regarding the impounding of taxis, Cele’s appearance at the taxi meeting and the need to negotiate. 

At one point, Hill-Lewis said: “You negotiate with criminals … we won’t.” 

Cele then said specific issues around the costs of impoundments must be taken to the negotiating table.

“My only argument here is that people must calm down on their high horses and swallow their arrogance and talk on behalf of people that are suffering,” the minister said.