Taxi strike called off

The one day taxi strike by members of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has been called off.

Thousands of commuters in the Eastern Cape were left stranded on Wednesday as result of the protest action by Santaco members who handed over a petition to government officials in King Williamstown.

Songezo Mpanda, Santaco regional chair,  confirmed the decision saying  the strike has been called off.

“The strike is over after we handed a petition to ANC’s Eastern Cape chair Oscar Mabuyane. He promised to respond within seven days,” he said.

The strike was effectively called of on Wednesday afternoon.

Among the list of the grievance from taxi bosses were operators struggling to obtain operating licences and alleged harassment at the hands of traffic officers.

Department of Transport spokesperson said they would remain vigilant and officers would monitor the roads to avoid violent incidents.

A total of 14 suspects were arrested across the Eastern Cape during the strike.

According to police, the suspects were arrested for various crimes including, but not limited to, public violence, attempted murder and damage to essential structures.

In Port Elizabeth, Algoa Park police opened a case under the Criminal Matters Amendment Act and the Road Traffic Act where it is alleged that taxi drivers blocked the road near Kenako Mall and damaged the signage boards and roads by burning tyres. No arrests were made. 

It is also alleged that at a cement truck driver was robbed by suspected protesters in Port Elizabeth. The driver stopped his truck to do a repair between Bluewater Bay and Truckers Inn on the N2.

As he was about to drive off again, a minibus taxi pulled up in front of him. Six suspects got out armed with sticks and stones.

They demanded his truck to block off the N2 as part of taxi protest.

They also robbed him of two cell phones and the GPS of the truck.

The driver ran away, but when police arrived, he returned to inform police of his ordeal. A case of robbery was opened at Swartkops SAPS.

Some of the arrests in the province include two suspects, aged between 23 and 26, in Lady Frere Bridge for obstruction of the road and one 26-year-old suspect for attempted robbery of a police firearm.

Aliwal North police arrested three suspects aged between 26 and 30 for various charges ranging from public violence, blocking a National Road (Criminal Matters Amendment Act), for an attempted murder where the suspect allegedly tried to run over a SAPS member with a vehicle.

One fine was issued for a traffic violation.

Four suspects aged between 25 and 71 were arrested by police on the R72 near first Chalumna Turn off where taxi drivers allegedly barricaded the road with burning tyres and stones.

Public Order Policing members were activated and arrested the suspects for public violence.  One Toyota Quantum and an Isuzu bakkie were also confiscated.

South African Police Service strongly condemns the actions of the taxi owners/drivers who participated in the Provincial protest organised by SANTAGO.

“We want to reiterate that while the taxi owner/drivers have a Constitutional right to protest, those very rights do not imply that people must infringe on the right of movement of other people, destroy property, be violent and intimidate others. This follows after several roads across the province have been blockaded by taxis, burning tyres and rubble from the early hours of this morning.”