CAPE TOWN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Parliament on Saturday condemned the recent taxi violence in the Western Cape province, calling on the national bodies in the taxi industry to speedily intervene.
According to a statement issued by the Parliament, fierce violence broke out on Thursday morning in Cape Town and a number of taxi operators and drivers have reportedly been killed.
"We send our deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and wish speedy recovery to all those affected," Donald Selamolela, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport in Parliament, was quoted as saying in the statement.
"This is a sad development in our country," Selamolela said, adding that the violence came at a time when the government was doing all it could to maximize support and investment in public transport. "The last thing we need is this bout of sporadic shootings that seem to be indiscriminate," he said.
"We condemn the criminality and violence that accompanies this outbreak and we call on law enforcement to ensure and maintain visibility until calm has been restored," Selamolela said, stressing that the violence should not threaten the people's expression of their wishes in the local elections scheduled for the following week.
Five men were killed and 4 others wounded in three separate shootings across Cape Town on Thursday, including one at the Delft taxi rank, according to local media reports.
The shootings came amid a wider wave of taxi-related violence across the metro, with incidents reported in recent weeks in Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Epping and Bonteheuwel, all located within the Cape Flats region of Cape Town.
The Cape Town International Airport experienced disruptions on Friday due to ongoing taxi-related unrest.
According to a statement issued by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) on Friday, the unrest had affected staffing levels across airport operations, resulting in extended passenger processing times and flight delays at the airport.
ACSA said that as of 13:00 on Friday, a total of 60 flight delays had been recorded at Cape Town International Airport, comprising 44 domestic departures, 11 international departures and five arrivals. "The average delay was approximately 60 minutes, with no cancellations reported," the company said.
In a separate development, the Western Cape High Court has granted an interim interdict against two taxi associations, the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA), as well as their cited office bearers, affiliated associations and members, following recent taxi violence in the province, the Western Cape government said on Friday.
The provisional order, which takes immediate effect, prohibits "violence, intimidation, road blockades, interference with public or private transport, unlawful route takeovers, damage to property and collecting money through threats." The respondents have until Nov. 20 to show why the order should not be made final, according to the provincial government.
Western Cape Mobility Minister Isaac Sileku said the department had approached the court after other efforts to stop the violence had failed. "I have a responsibility to protect residents who rely on public transport and ensure that lawful taxi operators can work without fear," he said.
In a separate regulatory action, the Western Cape Provincial Taxi Registrar has suspended the registration of the CATA Langa Inter-township Taxi Association for six months following an inquiry into unlawful operations in the Epping area, the provincial government said.
In the Parliament's statement, Selamolela also urged taxi operators to focus on their businesses and refrain from actions that could undermine the industry, saying the shooting at the Delft taxi rank on Thursday "should never have happened."
He noted that taxis remain the only affordable mode of transport in some communities. "Our attention should be focused on making the industry affordable, safe and reliable, and importantly complementary to other forms of transport and the economy," Selamolela concluded. ■
