The 2021 Cape Town taxi conflict was a violent turf war between the minibus taxi operators Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and Congress of Democratic Taxi Association (CODETA) over lucrative taxi routes in Cape Town, South Africa.[2][3][4][5] The conflict was part of a long running series of conflicts that are part of the ongoing taxi wars in South Africa.
| 2021 Cape Town taxi conflict | |
|---|---|
| Part of Taxi wars in South Africa | |
 Control over taxi commuter traffic between the Bellville Taxi rank (pictured) and Paarl was the cause of the violence. | |
| Location | multiple locations across the City of Cape Town, South Africa |
| Date | January 2021 - August 2021 |
| Target | Minibus taxi drivers |
| Weapons | various firearms |
| Deaths | 83[1] |
| Injured | multiple |
| Victims | Taxi operators, drivers, commuters, pedestrians, and regular bus drivers. |
| Motive | Conflict between minibus taxi operators Cata and Codeta for control over lucrative taxi routes |
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The conflict picked up in intensity in July 2021 over the B97 taxi route between Bellville and Paarl.[2] The spike in taxi violence resulted in thousands of people being unable to get to their jobs resulting in pay cuts, job losses and economic hardship.[5][6][7] Western Cape Transport MEC Daylin Mitchell stated that 22 murders and 29 attempted murders resulting from taxi violence were recorded between the start of July and 16 July 2021.[8][9] As of 23 July 2021 a total of 83 taxi conflict related deaths in the Western Cape were recorded since the start of 2021.[1] A total of 24 people had died in the conflict in the month of July 2021.[10]
In response to the violence the Western Cape provincial government temporarily closed the B97 taxi route for two months[11] in an effort to prevent further violence.[1] South African National Defence Force personnel were deployed alongside South African Police Service personnel to help secure affected transport routes.[12]
The July spike in violence coincided with large scale rioting in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.[13]
On 2 August both CATA and CODETA met with national Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to mediate an end to the conflict[14] after which Mbalula announced that a truce agreement had been reached.[15] The agreement stipulated that should violence breakout again then all effected mini-bus taxi routes would be closed for a period to be determined by the Department of Transport.[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Mutele, Gladys. "WC Transport MEC shuts major CT taxi route over violence". ewn.co.za. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Payne, Suné (July 23, 2021). "ACTION PLAN: Route at heart of Cape Town's taxi violence eruption to be closed for two months". Daily Maverick. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ "Premier Alan Winde: Ongoing taxi violence in Cape Town". www.gov.za. South African Government. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Davis, Rebecca (July 20, 2021). "EXPLAINER: Why the Western Cape is being rocked by taxi violence". Daily Maverick. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Hendricks, Ashraf; Lali, Vincent (July 21, 2021). "When will the taxi violence end, asks Cape Town commuter desperate to get to work". News24. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Solomons, Lisalee; Mthethwa, Cebelihle (July 22, 2021). "Western Cape commuters fear pay cuts and job losses following ongoing taxi strike". News24. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Hendricks, Ashraf; Human, Liezl; Washinyira, Tariro (August 3, 2021). "Commuters, small businesses paying the price for Cape Town's taxi violence". Moneyweb. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ Payne, Suné (July 16, 2021). "Taxi Wars: Mbalula calls for ceasefire as high-level meeting convenes over taxi violence in Cape Town". Daily Maverick. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Palm, Kaylynn (July 17, 2021). "22 killed in July as Western Cape taxi violence continues". ewn.co.za. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Stoltz, Eunice (August 2, 2021). "Rivals agree on new measures to end Cape Town taxi dispute". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ Stoltz, Eunice (July 23, 2021). "Western Cape closes roads to end deadly taxi violence". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ "More soldiers deployed to end Cape Town taxi wars". www.enca.com. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Hyman, Aron (July 14, 2021). "Flare-up in taxi war sparks looting alarm in Cape Town city centre". TimesLIVE. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ "Cape Town taxi associations reach agreement". www.enca.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Charles, Marvin (August 2, 2021). "Deal struck between Cape taxi associations after weeks of violence". News24. Retrieved August 3, 2021.