By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis shed some light on the agreement that the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape government reached with Santaco which led to the provincial taxi strike being called off.
Hill-Lewis and Western Cape Premier Alan Winde briefed the media on the resolution in the presence of SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) representatives.
Santaco in the Western Cape suspended its taxi strike on Thursday evening following an agreement with the city and the provincial government.
The eight-day strike was suspended on Thursday evening after lengthy talks over what Santaco believes to be the unfair impounding of their mini-bus taxis by the city.
At least five people have died while numerous industries were brought to a standstill.
According to the deal, impoundments under the National Land Traffic Act (NLTA) will continue for vehicles driving without an operating licence, on the incorrect route, or without a driver’s licence, and for those that are not roadworthy.
“We have agreed that the Taxi Task Team will further define a list, within 14 days, of additional major offences in terms of which vehicles will be impounded,” Hill-Lewis said.
“This will take the form of a standard operating procedure (SOP) on the exercise of the discretionary power provided for in the National Land Transportation Act and would be similar to other SOPs which guide staff in respect to other laws and procedures.”
The mayor said the city would focus on ensuring that traffic transgressions that affected commuter safety remained major offences.
He said the Taxi Task Team would also compile an agreed-upon list of minor offences, which did not have commuter safety implications and that would not result in vehicles being impounded.
“This agreement will immediately be nullified if there is any resumption of violence related to the taxi industry in the future. It is slightly bittersweet in the sense that we did have a constructive proposal on the table last Friday, and the final proposal is basically identical to that one except for the additions around the strike notice and escalation mechanism. It does feel like there was an unnecessary extension, given that it could have been wrapped up in 24 hours”.
Santaco spokesperson Nceba Enge says there will be more discussions in the future.
“We are mindful of the fact that most things will be discussed in a task team, and we are hoping as Santaco that those discussions will be fruitful”.
“It was not nice for us to see the chaos that was taking place out there, to see the suffering of the economy of the Western Cape, but we are hoping that this will be a learning curve that discussions are the cornerstone in resolving the problems.”
The agreement, which mirrors one proposed last Friday, includes an “escalation system that will loop in the premier and mayor should a dispute arise”, Winde said. He said this would provide “another layer before we end in strike action”.
Winde said it was unacceptable that five people had been killed during the strike and that buses, private vehicles and property had been attacked, roads blocked and residents cut off from services such as healthcare and education.
“We must now repair our partnership with the taxi industry. This must be done through meaningful engagement with the interests and, more importantly, the safety and dignity of commuters front of mind,” the premier said.
ANC Western Cape Provincial Secretary Neville Delport also welcomed the cessation of the deadly strike.
“We hope for a speedy return to normalcy of socioeconomic activity, especially for the poor and working class now that passengers will be able to utilise minibus taxis. Other road users will also be safer returning to the roads,” he said.
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has also expressed her sincere appreciation for the resolution of the recent taxi strike in Cape Town.
In a statement, the Minister congratulated all parties involved for reconvening and reaching an amicable solution that allows for the resumption of normal taxi operations within the city.
As the Minister responsible for transport, it is her duty to uphold the law and ensure the smooth functioning of public transportation systems.
She has commended the commitment shown by all stakeholders in working towards a resolution that aligns with the legal framework governing the industry.