This speech was delivered during today’s City of Cape Town Full Council Meeting by Roscoe Palm, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor:
Speaker, this speech is dedicated to the hundreds of working-class e-hailing drivers who are extorted by their algorithmic bosses like Bolt, Uber and others, as well as this city’s regime of extortion of them through fines, impoundments, and vulture like behaviour at the Waterfront, Airport, and the Cable Car. It is highway robbery.
Today as the GOOD Party we object to the approval of this Revised Operating Licences Plan (OLP) for 2023 to 2028. Firstly, this plan violates multiple provisions of the National Land Transport Act by assuming authority that rests with the Provincial Regulatory Entity. The City is positioning itself as both planner and regulator, a direct conflict of roles that is neither lawful nor democratic.
Secondly, the plan fails the test of public consultation, which is not just a guideline but a legal requirement under the Municipal Systems Act. What is before us suggests that no real engagement took place with minibus taxi associations or commuter communities, particularly in underserved areas that rely on these services. That is exclusion in its most institutionalised form.
But Speaker, I must now raise a matter of serious concern. The handling of the 2023 taxi strike by Alderman JP Smith was not only inflammatory but reckless. His media statements were steeped in antagonism, fuelling public fear and stoking division. Instead of playing the role of mediator, the Alderman opted for political grandstanding, labelling the entire taxi industry as criminals. That behaviour was unbecoming of a public office bearer and directly contradicted the City’s constitutional obligation to pursue cooperative governance.
Worse still, responses from opposition voices calling for dialogue and de-escalation were either dismissed or misrepresented in the media. That is not leadership, that is provocation disguised as law and order.
Speaker, this OLP is built on a foundation of exclusion, executive overreach, and adversarial politics. It reflects the very culture we witnessed during the strike: one of control without consultation, and order without justice.
I call on this Council to reject the item and instead commit to a truly inclusive public transport vision, one that listens, respects, and partners with all sectors.
GOOD Skills Training: GOOD emphasizes the importance of skills training for the workforce.
Tornado Maker
Brazil: You have two cows. But not for long, because one shoots the other dead.
Swampmasher
Fun South African Fact: For an unforgettable bucket-list activity, search for the famous Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) on safari in one of South Africa’s national parks or private game reserves. A South African safari is an experience like no other!