The Western Cape branch of South Africa’s taxi union has called off a week-long strike that crippled public transport in Cape Town and left thousands of commuters stranded. The strike, led by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), was in protest of a new by-law allowing the City of Cape Town to impound vehicles instead of issuing fines for certain traffic offences.
The controversial regulation permits law enforcement to impound vehicles that are unlicensed, overloaded, without registration plates, or fail to stop when ordered by a police officer. Taxi operators argued that the by-law unfairly targets them and demanded its repeal.
The “Taxi Stay Aways” coincided with Cape Town hosting the Netball World Cup, bringing public transport to a halt. According to South Africa’s 1996 national road rules, licensed drivers without their licences can be fined but allowed to continue their trip. However, under the new by-law, the vehicle can be impounded in addition to a fine.
The strike quickly turned violent. “Taxi owners and drivers, who were attending Santaco’s meeting in Makhaza, Cape Town, to decide on whether to strike, walked out of the venue and pelted a law enforcement vehicle with stones,” The Daily Maverick reported.
The protests left commuters stranded, forcing many to walk long distances home from work and school. Some people resorted to ride-hailing services despite a sharp increase in fares, while others slept at bus stations or their workplaces due to a lack of transport.
The Western Cape Department of Mobility reported that taxis, mostly 13 to 16-seater minibuses, provide about 75% of public transport in the province, carrying nearly one million passengers daily. The taxi industry generates an estimated R100 billion annually nationwide, with operators in the Western Cape earning up to R1.5 million daily, according to former provincial transport official Bonginkosi Madikizela.
The industry’s influence extends into national politics, with strong ties to the ruling African National Congress (ANC). It is also one of the most violent sectors in South Africa. A report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime revealed that nearly half of all organised murders between 2015 and 2020 were linked to taxi disputes. The Western Cape Government recorded at least 110 taxi-related murders between April 2021 and March 2023.
The hostility between taxi operators and ride-hailing services like Uber and Bolt has a long history. In 2017, two Uber drivers were attacked and their cars set on fire, with one driver dying from injuries.
Amid last week’s strike, the Western Cape E-hailing Association (WCEA), representing Uber, Bolt, and InDriver drivers, announced it was joining the strike. The group said it opposed city rules requiring ride-hailing cars to install taxi metres, describing the policy as a “direct attack on the poor income and declining living conditions of drivers.”
While ride-hailing services initially provided an alternative for stranded commuters, escalating violence saw private vehicles—both Uber cars and regular motorists—attacked and torched in Langa and other parts of the city.
“I’ve been busy since morning as people have no alternative to get to work,” said Simba, an Uber driver. “But I have to ask passengers for their destinations because some areas are too dangerous. If you take a client there, they could take your car or burn it.”
Uber confirmed that most of its drivers in Cape Town continued to complete trips despite “some joining the strike.”
The WCEA also demanded that the city stop impounding vehicles used for e-hailing services. However, videos shared on social media showing burning vehicles and threats against ride-hailing drivers indicated that fear and intimidation may have influenced the group’s decision to align with the taxi unions.
