High level talks between SAPS and members of the provincial government are under way to thrash out a plan to stop the illegal minibus taxi blockades in Cape Town, which is aimed at forcing children out of scholar transport and preventing them from going to school.

The illegal blockade left more than 5 000 children stranded this week, according to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).

Acting provincial minister of mobility Ivan Meyer said on Monday discussions with various government officials, SAPS and the police oversight and community safety department came up with a multi-pronged plan to ensure that learners could return to school as soon as possible.

“[We] are aware of the current criminal action by a group claiming to be linked to the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta). These criminal acts of preventing learner transport operators, contracted by the WCED, from transporting learners from some of our poorest townships to their schools are condemned in the strongest possible terms,” Meyer said.

On Tuesday, Education MEC David Maynier said: “It is unacceptable that the illegal blockade by minibus taxi associations escalated. Minibus taxi association members have been threatening and harassing our contracted drivers to prevent them from transporting learners. This is an attempt to muscle in on transport contracts and to extort money from the department.”

He said the action had now escalated, in that there was a threat to “offload” learners from any transport not operated by the associations, including the cars of parents, who are doing everything they can to get their children to school safely.

“Parents now find themselves with the terrible choice between keeping their children safe and making sure their education can continue. They should never have to choose between the two. Our schools are also scrambling to make sure that learners do not fall too far behind,” said Maynier.

“We had a productive meeting with the provincial leadership of SAPS and agreed to a plan of action that includes operations to end the criminality. We are in the process of finalising an affidavit to lay a criminal complaint against the taxi associations with the SAPS, and are exploring the possibility of an urgent interdict to terminate the blockade.”

The general secretary of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), Ryno Saaiers, said the taxi industry had not met with government officials over the past two days.

“The meeting that was held on Monday was among government officials only.”

Saaiers said Codeta and Santaco would meet separately on Wednesday to discuss whether to embark on strike action next week.

He said that, on Monday, the leadership of local minibus taxi associations met in Mitchells Plain to air their grievances about scholar patrol and the continued operations by Golden Arrow Bus Services on the B97 route between Mbekweni and Bellville.

Their grievances included:

• Santaco had approached the mobility department to get an explanation as to why Golden Arrow was continuing to operate on B97 long after the route was reopened to the taxi industry;
• The meeting resolved that traffic by-laws targeting the minibus taxi industry be taken on judicial review. To this effect, a law firm would be formally appointed by next week;
• The members noted that the industry was never consulted about the lifting of the moratorium on metered taxi operating licences. It was also noted that the lifting of the moratorium was intended to flood the City of Cape Town with thousands of e-hailing providers to the detriment of the traditional metered taxi and minibus taxi operators; and
• Santaco received reports that all forms of scholar transport services were being prevented from operating in some townships, especially around Khayelitsha. The leadership of Santaco requested information from the regions concerned and a meeting has been scheduled in the next few days to bring a speedy resolution to the impasse and to ensure that learners are able to go to school.

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Meanwhile, the WCED said they would not meet with any minibus taxi association until they ended the blockade and stopped terrorising children and parents.

“Our government is united: we do not negotiate with a gun to our head,” said Maynier.

“Our priority is, and will remain, the best interests of the children, and the minibus taxi associations are acting directly against our learners’ interests.”

Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa issued a stern warning to the taxi associations.

“Where incidents occur and are reported, the SAPS detective capability will investigate cases. A stern warning is issued to all involved to respect the rule of law as Western Cape police will not hesitate to take decisive action against those who transgress the law,” Potelwa said.

She said SAPS would constantly monitor engagement between the taxi associations involved and the respective government departments.

SAPS confirmed the meeting with entities of all three spheres of government, under the auspices of the ProvJoints, and had been in constant engagement with other role-players since the taxi threat regarding the learner transport system emerged.

“While no cases have been opened with the police yet, the threat at hand is viewed in a serious light, with multi-pronged operational interventions in place to mitigate the impact, thereby seeing learners continuing with academic activity,” Potelwa said.

She said the City’s law enforcement as well as SAPS officials from the identified precincts and units would embark on operational duties proactively and re-actively to stop taxi blockades.

News24