A great relief’ — Santaco calls off Western Cape taxi strike

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has called off its provincial stayaway following successful negotiations with the Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town.

“First and foremost, on behalf of Santaco Western Cape, I convey our sincerest condolences to the families of those who tragically lost their lives during the stayaway,” said Santaco chairperson Mandla Hermanus in a statement on Thursday evening.

“We stand with you in this time of grief and offer our profound sympathies. We also extend our heartfelt sympathy to everyone who was negatively affected by the events of the past days.”Santaco Western Cape chairperson Mandla Hermanus.

Hermanus said it saddened and disappointed Santaco that it had taken so long for all parties to find a resolution. Five people died in incidents directly related to the strike, which started on 3 August, as violence engulfed parts of Cape Town, while commuters across the province were left stranded and services were interrupted.

“The wellbeing of our community and the public at large has always been our top priority, and it pains us to witness the unnecessary pain and suffering that transpired.”

He said it had been agreed that the next 14 days would be used to work towards the release of the vehicles that had been wrongfully impounded.

“In conclusion, a heartfelt thank you goes out to each and every one of you for your patience, resilience, and unwavering resolve during these challenging times. We pledge our ongoing commitment to serve our communities with integrity, ensuring such incidents do not repeat in the future.”

In a video posted shortly after the announcement, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis called the end of the strike a “great relief”.

“We have reached agreement and the taxi strike is over,” he said.Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Mayor of Cape Town Geordin Hill-Lewis, Dean Michael Weeder of St George's Cathedral and Santaco Western Cape chairperson Mandla Hermanus hold candles while praying for a peaceful resolution to the taxi strike, 9 August 2023. (Photo: Brenton Geach / Gallo Images)[/caption]

In its meeting on Tuesday, 8 August, the Cabinet discussed the impasse between Santaco and the City of Cape Town, “which has escalated into a violent strike as a result of the impounding of taxi vehicles by the city,” Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said at a media briefing on Thursday morning.

“Cabinet condemns the violence and anarchy in Cape Town and has called on Santaco to ensure that its protest action is peaceful and does not interfere with the rights of others. In this regard, we have noted that there were no violent incidents in the last 48 hours.

“However, members of the South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies have been directed to [ensure the] violent situation is under control to allow residents safe movement to school, work and their normal daily activities,” she continued.

On Wednesday, the taxi council announced that the strike would continue while it pursued legal action against the city.

While the violence and disruption disproportionately affected working-class commuters, the unrest drew international attention this week, with Sky News reporting that a British man holidaying in South Africa had been killed during the violence.