Joburg hit by taxi strike, Cele reads riot act to Western Cape taxi drivers

Taxi drivers in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township went on strike on Monday after hundreds of vehicles were impounded.

Reports said violence had broken out at a taxi rank in Alexandra. Routes have been affected in Sandton‚ Midrand‚ Woodmead‚ Modderfontein and Alexandra.

The South African National Taxi Council announced the strike on Sunday. Joburg metro police said more than 500 vehicles had been impounded in an operation that had been launched in February.

In the Western Cape, meanwhile, police minister Bheki Cele has read the taxi industry the riot act.

He is setting up a dedicated team of detectives to investigate taxi violence in the Western Cape, and warned: "The full might of the law will be felt and heard in all corners."

At least 13 people have been killed in a spate of taxi violence in the province, including three commuters‚ and Cele warned that taxi ranks and operations would be shut down if the violence continued.

He met taxi bosses on Sunday with his deputy‚ Bongani Mkongi‚ Deputy Transport Minister Sindiswe Chikunga and Western Cape MECs Dan Plato (community safety) and Donald Grant (transport).

On Monday‚ Cele pledged that "stabilisation and normalisation" would be restored.

"Government’s approach must be tough in enforcing the law on behalf of the weak and vulnerable citizens of the country‚" said his spokesman‚ Reneilwe Serero.

"Route invasions"‚ regulatory failure and illegal operators are said to be driving the violence.

Said Cele: "Saturation of routes need to be looked into and clarified by government‚ hijacking of taxi routes by association needs to be corrected.

"Police must be seen doing their job and arresting perpetrators. It can’t happen that you kill someone and go home to sleep."