Three people have been killed in a minibus taxi strike that has paralyzed Cape Town’s public transportation system, authorities confirmed on Monday.
Millions of working-class South Africans rely on minibus taxis as their primary form of transportation; as a result of disputes with local authorities, minibus taxi drivers went on strike last Thursday, blocking numerous roadways.
A new municipal by-law that allows the city the authority to impounded automobiles for offenses such driving without a license, failing to display registration plates, or overloading was the subject of a request for action by the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO).
After 15 minibuses were seized on Tuesday, tensions reached a breaking point.
On Thursday, thousands of stranded commuters gathered at bus and taxi stops all throughout the city. Some chose to walk home into the night, while others slept there as violent outbursts occurred.
On patrol on Friday night in a village 20 kilometers southeast of Cape Town, a police officer was shot and murdered in a car.
Police stated that because the homicide occurred while cops were “conducting crime prevention patrols to quell taxi related incidents,” they could not rule out a connection between it and the strike.
On Monday, police provided an update, stating that another person had been “shot dead and three others injured after a motorist was pelted with stones” on the route leading to the city’s airport.
Authorities later disclosed that a third death had been discovered nearby. It belonged to a 28-year-old man who had suffered several gunshot wounds in an incident that was “believed to be taxi related.”
In the afternoon, the airport road was finally cleaned. Because of its obstruction, the British High Commission had advised travelers against using the car to the airport out of concern that some would encounter problems.
SANTACO, who assert that 6,000 vehicles have been seized since the start of the year, claimed that because of “the government’s frivolous impoundment operations,” they were “left with no other option.”
The local government declared in a statement on Monday that “it is obvious that there has been a level of premeditation in the actions we’ve witnessed over the past few days.”
“There have also been obvious attempts to target City infrastructure and staff,” it added.
City and transportation authorities reported that numerous city vehicles, including buses and taxis, had been set on fire.
Additionally, private vehicles have been fired at, set on fire, or stoned, and several medical facilities have been compelled to close their doors or scale back their operations.
According to police, several stores have been robbed, with protesters making off with wine, clothing, and household goods. Five people have also been detained for possession of allegedly stolen property.
SANTACO declared the strike will last until Wednesday after failed negotiations between the company and the government over the weekend.