![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Taxis_being_impounded_in_Cape_Town.jpg/640px-Taxis_being_impounded_in_Cape_Town.jpg&w=640&q=50)
2023 Cape Town taxi strike
2023 Cape Town taxi conflict / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2023 Cape Town taxi strike, also known as the 2023 Western Cape taxi strike, was a law enforcement dispute between minibus taxi operators in the Western Cape province of South Africa, as represented by South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), and the City of Cape Town.[5] The strike started at 13:00 SAST on Thursday, 3 August 2023 and is currently ongoing although SANTACO stated their intention to end the strike after 7 days on 10 August 2023[6] but confirmed its continuation indefinitely on 9 August.[7]
2023 Western Cape taxi strike | |||
---|---|---|---|
Part of Taxi wars in South Africa | |||
![]() Taxis being impounded in Cape Town during the strike. | |||
Date | 2 August 2023 – 10 August 2023[1] | ||
Location | |||
Caused by | Implementation of the National Land Transport Act and the impoundment of violating taxis.[2][3] | ||
Goals | Stop the impounding of taxis for infringing national and municipal laws, address other outstanding grievences.[2] | ||
Methods | Suspension of minibus taxi services, road blocks, protests, stoning of vehicles, torching vehicles, shootings. | ||
Resulted in | SANTACO accepts initial offer by the City of Cape Town | ||
Parties | |||
| |||
Lead figures | |||
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis | |||
Casualties | |||
Death(s) | 5[4] | ||
Arrested | 120[4] | ||
Damage | Multiple public buses and private vehicles set alight, municipal and private property damage, a number of private businesses looted. |
The strike was started after SANTACO claimed that minibus taxi drivers had been unfairly targeted by authorities impounding their vehicles for legal and road safety infractions,[8] a secondary grievance was a lack of progress with resolving other grievances.[9] SANTACO stated that a requirement for ending the strike was that all impounded minibus taxis be released without having to pay any fines.[10]
People allegedly associated with the strikers violently attacked motorists, municipal and public bus operators & drivers, commuters, and police officers.[6] SANTACO denied being involved in any violence associated with the strike as they were not operating following its start.[11]
The Cape Town neighbourhoods of Philippi[12] and Nyanga experienced the worst violence.