Cele holds talks on taxi violence
AFTER working up the media over an announcement on the violence at the Delft taxi rank, Police Minister Bheki Cele, served up more of the same on plans to curb the violence.
Cele had a two-hour meeting with taxi bosses yesterday, and said the police will beef up plans to curb the surge of taxi violence in certain parts of the city.
“We couldn’t fold our arms and not act, so the industry here and representatives agreed that we should have another meeting with numerous stakeholders which included the City of Cape Town,” Cele said. He said that the next meeting will take place within the next two weeks.
Cele said that taxi organisations agreed to work hand in hand with police to combat the scourge of taxi violence. “We agreed that the killings must come to an end, everybody agreed they don’t want to see any more violence.”
Cele admitted that not much has been done to arrest those responsible for the killings. Department of Transport Deputy Minister, Sindisiwe Chikunga, said that taxi bosses raised certain key issues the department will be looking into. Among those are operating and fraudulent licences being issued.
According to Cele 44 people have been killed in taxi violence in the Western Cape this year alone. The Delft taxi rank has been the scene of a blood bath in recent weeks following the death of at least 13 people.
MEC for Transport Donald Grant said: “All spheres of government will be working together and one thing is certain the killings must stop.”