Violent SANTACO shutdown condemned

The Multi-Party Standing Committee on Transport and Public Works of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament met this morning and wishes to express its serious concern at the recent disruption of the public transport system by the two-day shutdown by the South African Taxi Council (SANTACO) from the 21 to 22 November 2022.

Considering the events of yesterday and this morning, the Standing Committee on Transport and Public Works hereby condemns the violent acts by criminal elements in the mini-bus taxi industry who have taken advantage of the planned shutdown to wreak havoc in the Western Cape. The committee is equally worried about how the strike has affected schools, especially for learners writing their matric examinations.

The reality that this has not been a peaceful protest but a violent one with various criminal conducts, especially on Monday, shows the necessity for us to unite in our condemnation of this behaviour. The Western Cape's dependable and reliable Golden Arrow and MyCiTi buses were burned down and destroyed yesterday, owing to the shutdown organised by SANTACO. These criminal actions are not only extremely damaging to the public transport industry but also to the economy at large and the image of our country internationally.

The standing committee, furthermore, appeals to employers to be considerate to people who have been unable to get to work and who are potentially standing to lose income because of the strike.

Standing committee chairperson, Ricardo Mackenzie says, “The multi-party committee will be engaging the Provincial Department of Mobility as well as Community Safety and Police Oversight and invite them to come before the committee to discuss how best to deal with shutdowns of this nature. The Department of Mobility is also expected to brief the committee on the Blue Dot taxi programme.”

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