GOOD Press Statement by Jonathan Cupido,
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
11 August 2023
The GOOD party has requested the Speaker of the Cape Town Council to call an urgent and special council meeting for an urgent debate on the violent Taxi stay away.
The past week has been a dark time for the city.
Lives were lost, property was damaged, food security was threatened and once again it was the poor and working-class who were left suffering.
We do not condone the violent action that played out on the streets of the city but we need answers to what led us to this point.
GOOD welcomes the agreement reached by the Western Cape government, the City of Cape Town and SANTACO WC.
We hope this will be the start of a healing process for the city and its residents.
In a statement issued by Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, it is very clear that there are plans for a way forward.
“Impoundments under the NLTA will continue for vehicles driving without an operating license, or on the incorrect route, or without a driver’s license, or which are not roadworthy. We have agreed that the Taxi Task Team will further define a list, within 14 days, of additional major offences in terms of which vehicles will be impounded.”
However, the Mayor’s statement differs from the SANTACO statement which suggested that there were “wrongful impoundments” and that the City and Provincial Governments had made some concessions that these taxis would be released.
The contradictions need an explanation. What is not clear from the mayor’s statement is if the previous impoundments were in fact unlawful.
We are left wondering if Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith misinterpreted the law and overstepped his jurisdiction. His actions ignited the violence that brought the city to a standstill and threatened our economic recovery.
It was clear that taxi operators felt victimised by the leadership of the city and JP Smith. They believed their operations were being unfairly targeted by vindictive policing operations.
We join the city in celebrating the end of the violent stay away. But unfortunately, we cannot just forgive and forget. Lives were lost and someone needs to be held accountable.
JP Smith has been repeatedly accused of taking the law into his own hands.
In March 2022, in response to GOOD’s parliamentary questions, the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, confirmed that the City of Cape Town was engaged in “rogue” policing “bypassing the legal structure”. The “rogue” policing unit was the City’s Special Investigating Unit (SIU) which was conducting rogue or unlawful investigations. It probably still is, because despite Minister Cele’s public commitment to deal with this rogue policing nothing seems to have been done about it.
GOOD calls for the council to hold an urgent debate to unpack the lawfulness of the impoundments executed since 1 July 2023. The leadership needs to provide details if vehicles were impounded under the National Land Transport Act or under the City’s by-laws.
As GOOD we are calling for the DA-led city to hold their DA colleagues accountable so that history does not repeat itself.
Media Enquiries:
Jonathan Cupido, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
Cell: 084 865 8122
Email: jonathanc@forgood.org.za
Samantha Jackson, GOOD Acting Media Manager
Cell: 083 550 9875
Email: media@forgood.org.za