In brief
South Africa’s Parliament condemned the violent attacks on minibus taxi operators in Cape Town’s Western Cape province, which killed five men and wounded four across three separate shootings. The statement urged national taxi industry bodies to intervene swiftly and called for law‑enforcement presence, noting the unrest threatened airport operations and the forthcoming local elections. The incidents added to a recent wave of taxi‑related violence in the Cape Flats region.
South Africa’s Parliament condemned the minibus taxi violence that erupted Thursday in Cape Town’s Western Cape province, sending a statement on Saturday that five men were killed and four others wounded across three separate shootings in the city.
The parliament call urged the national bodies in the taxi industry to speedily intervene, and the Portfolio Committee on Transport chairperson Donald Selamolela said the violence at a time when the government was seeking to strengthen public transport was unacceptable.
Selamolela said:
"We condemn the criminality and violence that accompanies this outbreak and we call on law enforcement to ensure and maintain visibility until calm has been restored."
He added that the shootings threatened the people’s right to express their wishes in the local elections scheduled for next week and called for a swift, visible police presence.
Airport Disruptions
The unrest also affected Cape Town International Airport, with Airports Company South Africa reporting that as of 13:00 on Friday, 60 flight delays had been recorded—44 domestic departures, 11 international departures and five arrivals—with an average delay of about 60 minutes and no cancellations.
Legal Action
In a related development, the Western Cape High Court has granted an interim interdict against two unnamed parties, according to the parliament statement.
