APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) South Africa’s Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has condemned “the strongest possible terms” the deadly violence that has characterised a strike by omnibus taxi drivers in Cape Town during the past week.
Briefing journalists on Tuesday in Johannesburg, Chikunga called on the taxi industry to denounce any form of violence or intimidation by its members during the stand-off.
She said the state had urged the city to look again at the new conditions for operating licences – for it was these new by-laws that the taxi industry had expressed reservations about.
It could never be acceptable for those who were aggrieved by the actions of the city to blockade roads and undermine the rights of ordinary citizens to travel or access schools, places of work and economic activity, Chikunga said.
“We have national laws in place that govern the infringements and penalties that dealt with in the contested conditions of operating licences,” the minister said.
She added: “The national laws are in place to ensure that fair rules are applicable to all citizens irrespective of the city or province they reside in.”
However, it seemed the opposition-led city decided to define itself outside the parameters of national laws and implement penalties that were out of sync with these laws, Chikunga said.
“To this end, we call on the city of Cape Town to return to the negotiating table to address the areas of disagreement and demonstrate a genuine effort to find a lasting resolution to the current challenges,” she said.
Chikunga said the ministry remained committed to speedily finding an amicable solution that would enable the taxi industry to call off the strike.
She ordered the city of Cape Town to release all taxis impounded under the city’s amended traffic by-laws without any conditions immediately — to ease tensions in a week-long stand-off that has claimed five lives.
NM/jn/APA