City of Cape Town Plans to Sue Santaco for Damage During 8-Day Strike, Mzansi Supports Plan: “Excellent”

• The City of Cape Town plans to sue Santaco for damages caused during a taxi protest
• Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the municipality is tallying how much damage was caused to vehicles and infrastructure
• South Africans are in full support of the City of Cape Town's civil action pursuit and say it will teach the taxi industry a lesson

CAPE TOWN - Not all has been forgiven between the City of Cape Town and the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) since the eight-day taxi protest that caused chaos in the mother city.

City of Cape Town wants Santaco to pay

The City of Cape Town wants to take legal action against Santaco and plans to sue for the damages caused by taxi drivers during the tumultuous week.

According to News24, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says he told the various departments in the local government to estimate the damage caused during the strike.

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The city is assessing the number of vehicles damaged, the cost of damaged infrastructure and the cost of additional policing required to handle the protest action.

"We have every intention of pursuing civil action to recover these costs and to make sure those responsible for the violence and damage are held both criminally and financially liable," said Hill-Lewis.

City of Cape Town working together

Despite pursuing legal action against Santaco, Hill-Lewis said the city has been working with the taxi association to clarify the major and minor infringements for impounding taxis, reports eNCA.

Santaco and the City have 14 days to complete the negotiations.

"Next week, believe it or not, they are all going away together. They are going on a three-day breakaway to continue those discussions, so I'm sure they will derive maximum value from that extended time together," said Hill-Lewis.

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Taxis are still being impounded for safety infringements under the National Transport Act.

Mzansi weighs in on the City of Cape Town's plans to sue

@Motheo2009 said:

"That is the only logical thing to do."

@BatiWhite said:

"COCT must continue impounding those unroadworthy taxis. Anyone defending the taxis is complicit in the thousands murdered in taxi crashes every year."

@BlueNip said:

"Excellent. Why must the working class be constantly disadvantaged by these thugs? The elites in charge don't care either way."

@ThembaMhlophe said:

"This will be interesting. I hope it is successful."

@MncwangoNsiba said:

"Yhoo, Cape Town is doing the lord's work on those arrogant taxis."

@skhumbu57909818 said:

"Good. If the taxi industry cannot operate within South African laws, it should not operate at all."

Santaco and City of Cape Town’s truce on shaky ground

Briefly News previously reported that the South African Taxi Council (Santaco) and the City of Cape Town's fragile truce seem to be falling apart less than a week after the disruptive and violent strike was called off.

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The two came to a mutual agreement that led to Santaco calling off the strike on Thursday, 10 August, on the condition that no taxis would be impounded within the 14 days since the protest ceased.

Now the taxi council has taken aim at the City of Cape Town, accusing the metro of not holding up its end of the agreement after 14 taxis were impounded on Friday and Saturday, The Citizen reported.

Source: Briefly News