The two taxi associations involved in a bitter war in Cape Town, the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA), failed yesterday to make use of an opportunity to brief the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on challenges in the industry.
Yesterday was the first day of the NCOP’s annual Local Government Week programme. This year the programme is focusing on service delivery challenges in the City of Cape Town Metro, with the theme “Restoring the dignity of our people through spatial planning, provision of human settlement and water and sanitation”.
On day one, stakeholders were allowed to make submissions on their business operations. CATA and CODETA were afforded the opportunity to do so but did not honour the event with their presence. SANTACO [South African National Taxi Council] was also not present.
The Chairperson of the NCOP, Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, had earlier said that the week-long programme seeks to find solutions to some of challenges across municipal areas. “Today’s stakeholder dialogue, as well as the oversight visits which shall inform this week’s activities; aims to situate the categorical expression of the Freedom Charter’s call, for ensuring a local government by the people for the people and with the people.
“In this score, our considered view and in line with the spirit of this moment, is for all social partners to put their minds together, to become more attendant to the challenges of local government,” Ms Mtshweni-Tsipane said.
The presence of the taxi associations was considered desirable in the face of growing tensions in the industry that escalated recently when a taxi owner was shot dead inside his vehicle in Nyanga taxi rank while the house was in session.
Deputy Chairperson Mr Les Govender had said the NCOP appreciated the issues stakeholders were bringing to the table, and called on delegates to use the information and improve the lives of the citizens of the province when they conduct oversight on Wednesday. Various other organisations and business forums from the township had presented their concerns.
Sibongile Maputi
17 September 2025
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