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santaco ekurhuleni taxi strike

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Silas

The taxi strike in Ekurhuleni, led by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), has officially been called off after two days of widespread disruption to commuters[1][2][4]. Operations resumed after Santaco leadership and government officials reached an agreement concerning grievances about the impounding of taxi vehicles and issues with operating permits[1][4]. Santaco’s Ekurhuleni secretary, Zweli Mnisi, stated that while services have restarted, dialogue with the government continues to address unresolved licensing and impoundment concerns. Mnisi apologized to commuters affected by the disruption and emphasized that the decision to strike was not taken lightly but was necessary in response to continued impoundments by authorities, delays in the issuance of operating licenses, and high release fees[1].

The Department of Transport had recently impounded several taxis for various violations, with Santaco alleging that the vehicles were being targeted unfairly, often due to backlogs in licensing that were beyond operators’ control[2][4]. Taxi bosses and government officials held discussions in Pretoria, ultimately allowing services to resume on Friday. The MEC for Roads and Transport Management, Lehlohonolo Gomo, reaffirmed an open-door policy to resolve grievances with taxi operators without further disruption to commuters[2].

Throughout the strike, there were concerns raised by the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) about the potential for violence and its effect on other public transport workers, but there have been no major incidents reported[3]. The agreement reached means that taxi commuters in areas such as Katlehong, Tembisa, and Germiston can travel again as normal[4][6].

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