WC's Sileku warns taxi rivals CATA, CODETA that 'violence will never be rewarded'

CAPE TOWN - The temporary closure of the Somerset taxi rank, an urgent court order and beefed-up policing and security are just some of the measures taken by the Western Cape Mobility Department in a desperate bid to put an end to the ongoing taxi-related violence plaguing parts of the Cape.

At least five fatalities and nine injuries were reported over the past two days in areas including Philippi East, Khayelitsha, Macassar, and Lwandle.

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Mobility MEC, Isaac Sileku, said that the ongoing violence between CATA and CODETA, and the collapseof talks between the two groups, has put commuters and the public at risk.

"My first duty is to protect commuters. No one has the right to endanger the lives of ordinary people trying to get to work, school or home. Let me be clear, violence will never be rewarded."

Premier Alan Winde said if the taxi associations were unable to negotiate peacefully, they were left with no alternative but to take the necessary steps to hold themaccountable.

"We need to make sure that we bring law and order. We just held a recent taxi peace summit and it just seems that all of those discussions have come to naught. We cannot allow violence to be a mechanism to deal with competition. Violence will never be condoned and we need to make sure that these associations come to the table and we need calm."