WC SANTACO accuses CoCT of targeting black taxi drivers

CAPE TOWN -  The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the Western Cape has accused City of Cape Town traffic officials of targeting Black minibus taxi drivers.
 
This follows two separate videos circulating on social media showing city traffic officers using force to apprehend taxi drivers.
 
In the first video, a traffic officer is seen strangling a minibus taxi driver while in handcuffs on the N2 inbound near Langa on Tuesday morning.
 
This sparked a protest by a large group of taxi drivers at the Cape Town station deck, grounding operations to a halt for several hours.
 
A second video shows a taxi driver manhandled by traffic officers while being pulled out of his minibus taxi on the N2 outbound hours later in the afternoon.
 
According to the municipality's Safety and Security MMC, JP Smith, the driver seen in the first video of Tuesday morning was stopped for driving on the yellow lane. 

He said traffic officers were forced to subdue the driver after he apparently tried to flee the scene, resisting arrest.
 
However, SANTACO provincial spokesperson Makhosandile Tumana said this is a lie, and that video footage shows that the driver stopped his vehicle and leaned against the officer's car.
 
"When you look at this you find that there's an element of racism. There are people who get targeted, and this is one thing we will never allow in our rainbow nation."
 
He's called on the City of Cape Town to take immediate action against officers involved in these incidents.
 
Tumana also urged their members to remain calm and obey all laws, while they pursue the matter through appropriate channels.