Cyril slams taxi violence

President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the violence that has been sparked by the taxi strike in Cape Town.

Ramaphosa said violence will not solve the problems facing the City of Cape Town and the taxi industry. The president, who was speaking at Women’s Day celebrations at the Union Buildings on Wednesday, said the event had been forced to move from the Kaap due to the taxi unrest.

“We strongly condemn the violence and the destruction caused by this dispute. We are appalled by the killings and the assaults that have taken place because women have also been injured in all this,” he said.

The City of Cape Town and the taxi industry have sat vas for almost a week with businesses affected, two people killed and several injured.

Government was meant to commemorate Women’s Day in Khayelitsha yesterday, but the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture announced that the event would be moved to Pretoria for security concerns.

Ramaphosa called on the City of Cape Town and the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) to engage and find a solution.

He said violence will not resolve the crisis: “As we celebrate Women’s Day here at the Union Buildings, we are disturbed by the troubling events in the City of Cape Town.

“This year we were supposed to hold Women’s Day celebration in Khayelitsha. However, we had to move this event to the Union Buildings because of violence associated with the taxi strike in the city. While our democracy protects peaceful protests as well as lawful strike action, we cannot condone what has been happening in Cape Town,” Ramaphosa said

He said the rule of law must be upheld and the violence stopped.

Meanwhile, Minister of Transport Sindi Chikunga was involved in a public spat with City officials over the relevant laws used to impound taxis.

She had ordered the municipality to release all taxis that have been impounded.

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