Premier Alan Winde is angry and appalled by the violence caused by the taxi strike and has adopted a hardline “law and order” stance with regard to a return to negotiations with the industry.
Speaking after a provincial executive council meeting on Monday, Winde said: “The law is the law and we must make sure law and order is in place.”
He, too, was sorry that mense have been disadvantaged by the strike and are struggling or not able to get to work.
“But of course, we cannot do this while there is no rule of law,” Winde added.
Last week, the SA National Taxi Association (Santaco) announced its strike with immediate effect. The stay-away is meant to continue until Wednesday, 10 August.
Winde continued: “We need to end this and we need Santaco to make sure that we bring calm, because we cannot be negotiating with them while we’re seeing buses being burnt and roads being blocked. It is just unacceptable.”
He said the executive council and the City leadership would continue meeting on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, political parties have laid the blame for the taxi strike on the DA and the City, following a comment made by Mayco member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, who last week was quoted saying, “we will proceed with impounding 25 vehicles for every truck, bus, vehicle or facility that is burnt or vandalised”.
ANC provincial secretary Neville Delport said: “We warned the DA last week that its draconian actions towards minibus operators and its refusal to engage constructively with the industry would result in chaos and the suffering of the poor and working class.
EFF provincial chairperson Unathi Ntame added: “The City is a direct cause of the protest as for a long time, it has consistently and deliberately delayed the issuing of taxi operating permits with the aim to frustrate the taxi industry and give an advantage to the bus transport system which they benefit from.”
GOOD councillor Jonathan Cupido said: “Unfortunately, child-like comments made by JP Smith suggest vehicles are being impounded merely to prove a point, not for the safety of road users.”
ActionSA Western Cape provincial chairperson Michelle Wasserman called for calm and urged all parties to return to the negotiating table in order to urgently find an agreed way forward.
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