By: Natasha Archary

The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), says taxi operations in Cape Town will remain withdrawn until its granted an urgent interdict for the release of all impounded vehicles.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, 09 August, SANTACO said that while discussion with the National Minister of Transport, and Office of the Premier, Alan Winde are ongoing, the taxi council’s lawyers are pushing for an interdict to stop anymore vehicles from being impounded.
Until this is resolved, taxi operations in the Western Cape will be suspended. The interdict process will likely take 48-hours to be lodged.
STATEMENT
— SANTACO (@SA_Taxis) August 9, 2023
Taxi operations in the Western Cape remain withdrawn. We wish to apologize for the inconvenience that this causes to our commuters.
Read the full statement below. pic.twitter.com/tw6unU8A7P
Meanwhile, Cape Town’s Executive Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis said the only way the taxi’s will be released will be when the impound fees are paid.
Hill-Lewis said unless there’s evidence that the taxis were impounded unfairly, with malicious intent, they will not be released.
“We will not release them. They will be released when the impoundment fee is paid. What I said is that if SANTACO brings me examples of what they claim are malicious or overzealous impoundments, then I will look at those examples and if we agree together that this is in fact an officer that has gone out of bounds then I will absolutely work to release those.
But I trust the professionalism of our officers and I think that they do a great job and I suspect we will find very, very few of those out of the many thousands of the impoundments that we have done.”
The Mayor said for a first impoundment, each taxi will be released if “somewhere around R6 000” is paid, and the fee is higher for vehicles that had been impounded before.
📢 Bheki Cele you can negotiate with criminals, we won't! Watch as the Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis stands for the rule of law on the #TaxiStrike.
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) August 8, 2023
"We are protecting residents. We cannot negotiate which portions of the law will apply to some people and not to others." pic.twitter.com/KQ57pb9nSe
Also read: Two Gauteng boys take their own lives



