Cape Town - The Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) was forced to do an about-turn and has now offered to transport pupils free of charge to schools today and tomorrow.
This after parents, guardians and even children took to the streets to protest against the taxi associations using them to extort contracts from the Western Cape Education Department by preventing them from using scholar transport.
Codeta said parents would be allowed to transport pupils to schools and it would transport the pupils free of charge, but buses would not be allowed.
The taxi “blockade” affected thousands of children from mostly Khayelitsha and Mfuleni, who for the past week had been prevented from going to school.
In footage shared online, a group of pupils in varying uniforms protested at the Site C taxi rank in Khayelitsha on Wednesday, as they had been unable to get to school since the start of the week.
Several parents also protested at the taxi rank, demanding a meeting with the taxi owners. Some desperate parents and scholar transport operators resorted to “smuggling” pupils to school by hiding them from view.
Western Cape Scholar Transport Association chairperson Chumani Ngxumza said last week that a voice note by a representative of taxi association Codeta had circulated, stating that all scholar transport should be halted on Monday as they would be stopping, searching, and turning scholar transport vehicles back.
Pupils were reportedly removed from their scholar transport on Wednesday in Khayelitsha, prompting the protests.
The association has around 100 operators as part of its membership.
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said they were aware of intimidation and threats against scholar transport operators.
Education MEC David Maynier said taxi associations were attempting to extort the department, with associations demanding contracts without following tender processes.
Maynier said the minibus taxi associations were not promised contracts by the WCED.
On Monday, 5 000 pupils were absent, 4 200 on Tuesday, and 4 500 yesterday. On Tuesday, the WCED said 12 schools had been impacted in Khayelitsha and Mfuleni.
“Minibus taxi associations have continued to keep pupils in Khayelitsha out of class by harassing and threatening learner transport operators, private transport, and even parents driving their children to school,” Maynier said.
On Tuesday, Maynier said the department was in the process of finalising an affidavit to lay a criminal complaint against the taxi associations, and the possibility of an urgent interdict to terminate the blockade.
On Monday, the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) held a meeting with local associations to discuss taxi route B97, scholar transport, lifting of moratoriums on licences for metered taxis, subsidies and by-laws.
After the meeting, Santaco confirmed that it had received reports that all forms of scholar transport services were being prevented from operating in townships, especially around Khayelitsha.
Santaco said it had requested information from the areas concerned and would be meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday for a “speedy resolution to the impasse and to ensure that pupils are able to go to school”.
Santaco said the industry had agreed to embark on a stay-away in the coming week over the impounding of vehicles, with a date to be given at the end of the week.
Santaco provincial chairperson Mandla Hermanus said: “Santaco did not direct anybody to stop any vehicle anywhere in the province. Should the WCED ask Santaco Western Cape to intervene, we will.”
Maynier has, however, on several occasions reiterated that the department would not be meeting with any taxi associations.
“The Department of Transport and Public Works will meet with Santaco. The WCED will not meet with any taxi association as long as the blockade continues. The SAPS is going to keep us informed of the operations they are putting in place.”
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said while no cases have been opened with the police, multi-pronged interventions are in place.
““With others in law enforcement agencies (City of Cape Town’s metro police and traffic services), SAPS officials from the identified precincts and units will embark on operational duties proactively and reactively. Where incidents occur and are reported, the SAPS detective capability will investigate cases.”
A Western Cape Scholar Transport Association member confirmed that they were still not operating as meetings with Codeta were under way.
“But up to now, there’s still no formal agreement that we can transport the kids. I took a chance on Tuesday, but I was not lucky. I was caught. I had about 10 kids in my van. It was about 6.10am. I was told to take the kids back home, which I did. I had no choice.”
Taxi association Codeta Western Cape general secretary Nceba Enge previously said the WCED had refused to meet since last year regarding scholar transport, and were therefore responsible for what was now taking place.