Taxi groups sign deal after Tokai violence

Taxi groups feuding over route turf in Tokai have struck a peace deal after violent scenes near the Blue Route Mall last week with shots fired and vehicles vandalised.

The groups, which are affiliated with the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta), signed the deal on Saturday with the backing of Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie. They vowed to end any further acts of violence, intimidation or harassment of private vehicles, businesses and residences.

Both groups will still operate on the Tokai route in the mornings, but Codeta’s Vrygrond, Khayelitsha and Wynberg affiliates will park at Blue Route Mall in the afternoons to let Cata’s Westlake affiliate ferry passengers to the shopping centre.

Kirstenhof police officers arriving in Tokai Road opposite the mall at 2pm last Friday were confronted by a group of men rushing minibus taxis blocking the road opposite the mall and vandalising the vehicles.

“When they saw the patrol vehicle, they fled in different directions. Integrated law enforcement agencies rushed to the area to assist Kirstenhof police,” said provincial police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swaartbooi, adding that riot police were deployed to prevent retaliation.

Ward councillor Carolynne Franklin said various law-enforcement agencies and Kirstenhof Crime Watch volunteers had helped to protect the innocent and keep the public out of the area.

“There were active shootings, attempted stabbings, vandalism of vehicles,” she said.

Traffic alerts warned commuters to avoid Tokai Road, but the situation calmed down by 5pm, and the police reopened the road.

But there was a flare-up of violence on Saturday morning, according to comments on the Tokai Community Facebook group.

“Stay off Tokai Road, guns pulled out. Taxis are back! Another taxi has been smashed. SAPS here and Metro Police on site,” wrote Nicola Groenewald.

“There is a taxi parked on Tokai Road now by the Blue Route with a bullet hole through its windscreen, and two police cars are there, parked by the taxi,” wrote John Sterianos.

Mr Mackenzie visited Tokai Road with Law Enforcement on Saturday and confirmed the situation had calmed down by 8am. In a statement, he warned “the criminal element that wants to cause mayhem” that “the full might of the law will come down on them, and there will be consequences on this route if stability and peace do not continue on this route”.

In a letter to Ms Franklin dated Tuesday March 12, the Westlake Taxi Association apologised to commuters, businesses and homeowners for the violence.

The letter, which the Bulletin has a copy of, says the violence resulted from Codeta taxis ferrying people for free around the Tokai area and dropping them at the mall from where passengers catch taxis to other areas. The letter claims Codeta-affiliated taxis do not have a permit to do this.

Tobebinceba Dyasi, the vice chairperson of the Cata-affiliated Westlake Taxi Association, told the Bulletin that Codeta affiliates were not permitted to transport passengers within Tokai or wait for passengers at Blue Route Mall.

Makhosandile Tumana, chairperson of the Vrygrond Taxi Association, said the association had been operating “with peace and harmony” from Vrygrond to Tokai and Zwaanswyk for 14 years, and while it was not entirely happy with the peace deal that required their taxis to park at the mall during the afternoon peak, compromise was needed.

“In the evening, the people living in Vrygrond need to go back home from work in Zwaanswyk, Tokai, Pollsmoor. We are the people who take them early in the morning - so it was a surprise to hear in the evening we can't take our people back; Cata Westlake must transport them first to Blue Route. That is not okay.”

According to Ms Franklin, Codeta’s Vrygrond and Khayelitsha affiliates have permits that allow them to drop off at the mall but not stand there, and they are not permitted to transport passengers into Tokai or Zwaanswyk, but they do.

It would still take some work to unravel the history of the dispute, but with help from the City, the MEC and other parties a resolution would be found, she said.