Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
08 August 2023 | 16:05 CAT

The N2 inbound and the N2 outbound closed due to the taxi strike. | Taxi drivers being arrested. | One person killed. | An ambulance at the scene of the shooting. (Photos: Daily Maverick)

The violence that erupted at the start of a taxi strike in Cape Town is spreading, with at least two people killed, schools and health clinics closed, and buses torched. Commuters are also forced to walk kilometres to find a bus to take them to work or home as rioters block some areas, including the N2 highway. Schoolchildren also went on the rampage, looting shops and raiding liquor stores.

The latest incidents follow previous violent incidents, including the murder of a 37-year-old Leap officer in Nyanga on Friday evening.

The Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (Leap) is a joint Western Cape government and City of Cape Town community safety project.

The city said it is concerned some of the violence was premeditated.

The Western Cape MEC for Community Safety and Police Oversight, Reagan Allen, in an interview with Radio Islam International, confirmed that 63 people were arrested and another 143 incidents of criminal matters registered with SAPS, which includes potential looting, stone throwing and vehicle torching.

“The matter is extremely fluid at the moment, however all major roads in the City of Cape Town are open with over 1500 law officers monitoring a number of key hot spot areas. Should any eradic incidents occur, we will be able to quickly operationalize deployment to ensure the perpetrators are held accountable,” says MEC Allen.

Meanwhile, the Santaco mini bus strike has prevented 17 499 staff members from getting to and from school, with 456 000 learners being unable to attend school across the province.

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie.