The City of Cape Town has been brought to a standstill by the taxi industry and city management have vowed to return travel to normal as soon as possible.
On Wednesday, the City’s Safety and Security spokesman said a morning meeting was held and no incidents of taxi violence were reported thus far.
the Minister of Community Safety, Albert Fritz, welcomes reports from the South African Police Services that there have been no incidents of taxi-related violence overnight and so far today.
Minister Fritz said: “We welcome the calm. Our residents deserve nothing less. It really upsets me that our citizens are not able to do the most basic things, like travel to work without worrying about being caught in crossfire. The instigators don’t think about the consequences of their actions. Last night I spoke to a petrol attendant who was alone on duty. He was telling me all his colleagues are too scared to travel. Automatically, that business and the jobs it generated, are at risk. So this taxi violence issue has far-reaching consequences and it must come to an end.”
Workers, however, have been left stranded because very few taxis are operating and there is only so many buses to transport people to and from their place of work.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, said the city enforcement services are maintaining a presence at all affected taxi ranks and PTIs.
“They are also conducting vehicle checks, searching for firearms and ensuring that those taxis that are operating are doing so legally.
“Our primary objective remains public safety, but this is a shared responsibility and we ask the public to report any information to our Public Emergency Communication Centre,” he said.
They have also warned people to stop sharing fake messages and voice notes inciting more problems. Unless these incidents are witnessed first hand, do not share them on social media.
“We have witnessed an increase in the sharing of misinformation in recent days, which further fuels tensions and anxiety around the situation,” said Smith.
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