‘Cops who own taxis hamper peace efforts’
Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle says police are involved the taxi industry, which is "unlawful behaviour". File photo: Jason Boud Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle says police are involved the taxi industry, which is "unlawful behaviour". File photo: Jason Boud
Cape Town -
Transport and Public Works MEC Robin Carlisle says police are involved in the taxi industry, which is “unlawful behaviour” that does not help to stop the taxi violence between two rival associations in Delft.
The Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) and Delft Taxi Association have clashed violently over the past five months, with deaths and injuries to taxi drivers, owners and passengers.
On Monday Carlisle said: “It has been alleged to me that there are policemen, including some stationed at Delft, who own and operate taxis.
“If this is true it is unlawful and very prejudicial to maintaining effective law and order in the taxi industry.”
At a recent meeting in Caledon, all taxi associations in the province agreed to make peace, but the violence has continued, with a passenger being wounded in a shooting a week ago.
On Thursday, Codeta members marched to the Delft police station demanding that all cases relating to the taxi violence be investigated at provincial level because they feared that police were biased.
Cecil Dibela, general secretary of Codeta said on Monday that they suspected Delft police officers owned taxis and that this was partly why they were “slow in applying the law”.
A Delft taxi owner, who asked not to be named, confirmed on Monday that policemen owned taxis.
“That is a problem because the police are giving information to the wrong people and that is what is causing all the chaos.”
The owner said that they had been told not to provide services in Delft on Wednesday as a march against taxi violence was to be held and no one would be allowed to enter or leave the area.
“They are causing all the violence, but now they want to march against it.”
Police were not aware of any police officers being involved in the taxi industry as owners or operators, SAPS spokesman Captain Frederick van Wyk said.
“Any information to the contrary should be brought to our attention and the matter will be investigated.”
Carlisle said: “I have raised this with law enforcement and they have promised to investigate.”
Van Wyk said police were investigating 13 cases of attempted murder relating to the taxi violence in Delft.
“All taxi-related incidents or cases are investigated by the provincial taxi task team and not by the detectives,” he said.
Codeta regional leader Vusimzi Miselo, who handed himself over to Delft police last week, appeared in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Friday on a charge of malicious damage to property.
The case was postponed to Wednesday. It relates to an incident that occurred before the latest round of violence.
Cape Argus