Codeta has retracted a statement in which they try to strong-arm private transport services out of Khayelitsha.
On Tuesday, the taxi association distributed flyers that warn staff transport and e-hailing drivers to “stop taking their customers”.
This was the same day on which police say three people were killed and a civilian injured in Bellville, and three shot and injured in Delft amid ongoing taxi violence.
In the flyer, Codeta said staff transport drivers can only operate during off-peak hours, from 9pm-4am, while they don’t want any e-hailing services in “Codeta area”.
This excluded school children, essential service workers and people with disabilities.
On Wednesday morning, Codeta spokesperson Andile Khanyi said they want to transport workers themselves.
“This has been happening for a long time and last year we decided to not take action,” Khanyi told the Daily Voice.
“We see how people are abusing the workers’ transportation because they end up taking our customers and we know them.
“If someone wants to start such a ‘business’ then they should approach us and then we can talk to them and explain our regulations, and most importantly tell them when they can operate.”
Khanyi says they were forced to take these measures as they are losing money.
On the flyer, Codeta said those who don’t comply would pay a heavy fine.
Khanyi later backtracked, telling the Daily Voice: “That was a print error, there will be no fines but we will have to deal with them in other ways.
“We may feel obliged to take the commuters and put them in our taxis.”
However, following a meeting with Western Cape Transport MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela in the afternoon, Codeta changed its tune, saying the flyer was full of errors.
Madikizela says he held a meeting with Codeta and Santaco.
“There are two issues that we discussed, the first was the two shooting incidents in Bellville and in Delft,” he said.
“We all condemned this and we have agreed to work with law enforcement to apprehend the culprits.
“And secondly the disturbing notice, we had a lengthy discussion and they have retracted.”
Last night, Codeta secretary Lesley Sikupela said the notice “was badly written”: “We saw the errors this morning but it was already out there so we agreed to retract that notice and we will take further action.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za