Brick-Throwing Clash At Cape Town Taxi Rank Prompts Police Deployment

A confrontation between rival taxi groups at the Mutual train station taxi rank in Cape Town prompted the deployment of Public Order Police on Monday afternoon.

Bricks were reportedly thrown during the clash, forcing police to intervene and monitor the situation.

Western Cape police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala said the crowd dispersed after officers used minimum force. Police remained at the scene to keep tensions under control.

The incident occurred on the same day Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku visited several minibus taxi ranks amid growing concern over taxi-related violence across the city.

Taxi Violence Claims 19 Lives Since September

Sileku's visit comes after weeks of deadly clashes involving rival taxi groups in Cape Town.

According to reports, 19 people have been killed in taxi-related violence in the city since September. The latest incidents include a shooting

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at the long-distance section of the Bellville taxi rank on Friday evening, in which four people were killed and a seven-year-old child was injured.

Earlier on Friday, another shooting in Khayelitsha left one person dead. The son of a taxi boss was allegedly shot at by two men while driving his father's vehicle. He reportedly returned fire, killing one of the alleged attackers.

The violence has continued despite commitments by the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA) to maintain peace following a dispute over routes between Delft and Epping.

MEC Engages Taxi Industry Over Safety Concerns

Sileku's spokesperson, Byron La Hoe, said the MEC's engagements were aimed at giving taxi drivers and commuters an opportunity to raise concerns about safety and conditions at taxi ranks.

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“No one should lose their lives or feel unsafe at a taxi rank. These engagements are important to strengthen communication with the taxi industry and commuters,” La Hoe said.

The visits included taxi ranks in Khayelitsha, Delft, Nyanga, Langa, Maitland and Mutual.

The engagements are intended to encourage greater cooperation between the government, taxi industry and commuters in efforts to build a safer public transport environment.