Eastern Cape taxi operators' strike suspended indefinitely, confirms Santaco
More police were deployed to Mthatha on Tuesday after taxi drivers took to the streets, blocking entrances and exits into the area, blocking over 100 voting stations from being able to open for Monday’s first day of special voting.
Picture: © Alexey Stiop /123rf.com
JOHANNESBURG - The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) has confirmed that a strike by operators in Eastern Cape has been suspended indefinitely.
More police were deployed to Mthatha after taxi drivers took to the streets, blocking entrances and exits into the area.
Over 100 voting stations were unable to open for the first day of special voting.
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It's understood the protest is a result of police confiscating firearms from the taxi drivers as part of an ongoing investigation.
Following the chaos in Mthatha on Monday that led to road closures, the suspension of learning and teaching at schools as well as the looting of trucks, SANTACO apologised to the people who were affected by the protest.
The council said these were the actions of a taxi association that did this without SANTACO's knowledge.
"SANTACO was not part of the taxi strike, let me clarify that. Today [Tuesday] there will be no protests,” said the council's Eastern Cape chairperson, Bishop Yolelo.
The firearms of the taxi operators were confiscated last week after another taxi violence incident that led to the death of two people and left 18 others wounded.
Meanwhile, police remain on high alert in the province to attend to any acts of violence that may occur.