Premier relieved that taxi strike has ended

Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde said yesterday; “I am relieved that the mini-bus taxi strike has ended.”

The strike dragged on for far too long, with residents, particularly the poor, worst affected.

We endured an especially difficult time in finding a resolution. We will now work with SANTACO-WC through meaningful engagement to resolve the complex and long-standing issues that the industry faces.

The Western Cape’s citizens and commuters should always come first. We cannot leave them abandoned as they were on Thursday afternoon last week when the strike was called at such short notice and hundreds of thousands of people were left without a way to get home.

I am still very angry about the scale of violence that accompanied the strike. It is unacceptable and tragic that 5 people were killed, buses, private vehicles, and property were attacked and burned, and roads were blockaded and people were cut off from essential services such as health and education. Violence is not how we resolve our issues, and I trust that if this strike has demonstrated anything it is that the way we resolve issues is through engagement and talking.

It is imperative that if our democracy is to thrive that we respect the principle that we are all equal before the law and that we all have the right to feel safe and be treated with respect.

We must now repair our partnership with the taxi industry. This must be done through meaningful engagement with the interests and, more importantly, the safety and dignity of commuters front of mind.

We must return to the negotiating table and continue with the critical work that we started in February this year through the Mini-bus Taxi Task Team. Many of the issues raised by the industry should be dealt with there. These are complex matters. They will take significant time to resolve, but the Western Cape Government, with all our partners, is committed to resolving them.