EFF supporters protested taxi impoundments on Monday and marched to Ndabeni where they handed over a memorandum of demands which was signed by the City’s mayco member for urban mobility Rob Quintas. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency (ANA)
EFF supporters joined the provincial shutdown against taxi impoundments on Monday and marched to Ndabeni where impounded taxis were being kept.
Protesters started their march near a local shopping complex in Vanguard Estate to Ndabeni where they handed over a memorandum of demands which was signed by the City’s mayco member for urban mobility Rob Quintas.
Their demands include that the City release taxis that were “unjustly” impounded, the City issues operating licences speedily, the City scraps all the “exorbitant fines”, cancel the Urban Mobility summit planned for today (Tuesday) until all the taxis are released and scraps any by-laws that are not in line with the national legislation.
EFF secretary-general Marshall Dlamini said: “We are here because of problems faced by black people, our people.
“We are calling on the DA to release the taxis that belong to our brothers and sisters, who work hard for these taxis. The DA does this because they continue to undermine black people, especially here in the Western Cape.
“We saw the plight of the taxi drivers, where their taxis were being broken, and drivers were being abused.
“We called on all political parties. “We have sellouts amongst us. We were in boardrooms with political parties who agreed to be here but they are not here,” Dlamini said, after the ANC and other civic organisations pulled out of the planned action at the eleventh hour.
“They say they are leaders, but they are not here today, the EFF is here.
“We will fight and we don't need permission from anyone.
“We want our taxis because we want to participate in the economy of this country.
“We have seen where the taxis are, we have seen the address. These taxis will come back to the rightful owners,” he said.
In response to the call for the immediate release of the minibus taxis, Quintas, said: “The response from the city remains the same as it has been since our beginning of our discussion.
Any operator owner who believes that the vehicle has been impounded for frivolous reasons is welcome to lodge a complaint with my office so that we can investigate.”
Police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi said police were deployed to maintain order.
City mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith said no incidents were reported or detected and the traffic was flowing normally.
“The City convened a joint command centre at the Disaster Risk Operation Centre in Goodwood since early (Monday) morning to respond to any potential disruptions caused by the EFF protest and threatened strike action,” he said.
Cape Times