LOCAL
About 100 Western Cape matric students sat for Sepedi and Sesotho papers on Tuesday amid a taxi strike.
The SA National Taxi Association (Santaco) in the province embarked on a two-day protest after the suspension of the City of Cape Town’s Blue Dot Taxi initiative. Insufficient budgets ended the initiative, which rewards good behaviour and excellent service.
“We have fewer than 100 candidates writing Sepedi and Sesotho. So far we have had no problems reported. The bigger exam takes place this afternoon with more than 27,000 candidates writing geography. We have contacted the candidates and urged them to make alternative travel arrangements. If, despi
te their best efforts, they cannot reach their designated exam centre, they head to the nearest exam centre instead. They will be assisted by our staff.”
Ntomboxolo Makoba-Somdaka, spokesperson for the MEC for mobility, Daylin Mitchell, said the situation was “fairly quiet”.
Meanwhile, three suspects linked to the taxi industry are set to appear in court after their arrest for the possession of 13 petrol bombs in Delft on Monday.
Provincial police spokesperson Brig Novela Potelwa said members of the flying squad who were on patrol spotted a Toyota Quantum minibus and a sedan in pursuit of a furniture delivery vehicle on Delft Main Road.
“Once they pulled over the 15-seater vehicle and the sedan, they searched the vehicles. Thirteen petrol bombs were discovered and the suspects were arrested. The suspects, aged between 28 and 32, are alleged to have strong links to the taxi industry and are expected to appear in court as soon as they are charged in terms of the Explosives Act,” said Potelwa.
“Meanwhile, the furniture delivery vehicle was escorted out of the area by police. Integrated police contingents comprising SAPS members, the City of Cape Town’s law enforcement officials and traffic services continue to maintain a strong presence at identified hotspots while the taxi strike is being monitored.”
Source: TimesLIVE
Photo: Esa Alexander/Reuters
Taxi operators in the Western Cape are currently on strike.
Two buses have been torched.
Police have arrested three suspects allegedly with strong links to the taxi industry in Delft, after thirteen petrol bombs were found in their vehicle.
Deputy Chairperson of Santaco Nceba Enge says opportunists are using their strike to commit criminal acts.
“The strike should be peaceful. We have issued a statement last week encouraging our people not to involve themselves in such violent activities and we also wrote a letter to Golden Arrow informing them and encouraging them to use their discretion about their buses in this township and stuff because when something of this nature happens, there are other people that will take the opportunity and do their own thing so we want to distance ourselves.”
SANTACO’s two-day stay-away to continue in the Western Cape on Monday and Tuesday
Meanwhile, member of the Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says three buses have been set alight, another one hijacked and several roads closed.
Smith says members have now been placed on the buses to ensure the safety of commuters.
“Cowardly attacks were launched on some public transport vehicles earlier this morning in Khayelitsha when two Golden Arrow buses and a MyCiti bus were burnt out. It has become the norm for certain role players within the public transport sector to attempt to destroy the competition and burn out competing public transport vehicles.”
SANTACO in the Western Cape calls for blue dot taxi programme to resume:
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