The Overstrand Municipality has been accused of contributing to the escalating taxi violence in Zwelihle. Municipal officials are also accused of supporting efforts to undermine local taxi operators. Furthermore, they are accused of allowing an outside taxi association to operate in the area.
Land Party Chief Leader and mayoral candidate Gcobani Ndzongana made the allegations against the municipality in a statement by the party on 23 September. This was after two men were shot dead and another seriously injured at Zwelihle taxi rank. Police confirmed at the time that the motive was believed to be taxi related.
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Ndzongana said he had previously asked community members to collect photographs and video footage of what was happening at the taxi ranks.
In correspondence with Hermanus Times, he alleged that taxi operators from Nyanga had threatened local operators. He further alleged they removed Overstrand Tazi Association (OTA) stickers from vehicles and, in some instances, assaulted local operators.
The Land Party leader further alleged that the municipality had sought to undermine the current taxi executive committee.
A local taxi chairperson who was later arrested for alleged extortion, according to Ndzongana, told him before his arrest that he had been involved in a video recording made by a deceased taxi owner.
The recording allegedly contains an allegation that a Democratic Alliance (DA) mayor instructed people to remove him from Hermanus. Furthermore, it is alleged the mayor wanted to prevent the Land Party from assisting the community.
Ndzongana said the recording was in a USB device in the possession of an investigating officer.
“Because some police officers are working against the Land Party. No action was taken, as a white DA councillor was implicated,” he alleged.
The claims have not been independently verified and Ndzongana did not provide the recording or other documentary evidence to substantiate the allegations.
Months of violence
The accusations come after months of violence linked to a dispute between the OTA and the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA).
Multiple people have been killed in taxi-related incidents in the area. The conflict has been described as a power struggle between the two associations.
CATA has previously denied accusations that it was responsible for stirring up the conflict.
In an attempt to interene, Ndzongana says he drafted a peace accord and approached several authorities. These included Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembinkosi Dyantyi, the Hermanus court manager, CATA, OTA and Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku.
He said that he asked the police, MEC and court to attend a meeting between the competing parties.
According to Ndzongana, the provincial police commissioner supported the peace proposal but said the police’s role was limited. He said the commissioner instructed him to share the proposal with the MEC.
Ndzongana claims Sileku subsequently told him that the matter was the responsibility of the Overstrand Municipality. Furthermore, only OTA was legitimate to operate in the area, rather than CATA.
Moreover, the Land Party leader said that the Head of Prosecutors at the Hermanus Magistrates’ Court also undertook to escalate his proposal. Specifically, the proposal aimed to bring the relevant parties together.
He said the proposed peace accord remains available.
Various messages
According to Ndzongana, he received a message from deceased Thami Mcinjana on 11 September at 13:24. He subsequently forwarded this message to the provincial police commissioner. He said OTA sent him another message on 14 September at 18:31, which he also forwarded.
Mcinjana was one of the taxi owners shot dead on the morning of 23 September.
However, Ndzongana said that he did not approach the municipality with those messages because he had already concluded that municipal officials were “complicit”. Additionally, he concluded that the municipality was supporting people from Cape Town. These people were allegedly creating problems for local operators.
Following the 23 September shooting, taxi operations in Zwelihle and Hermanus were temporarily suspended as a safety precaution. Police said they were working with other authorities, including Overstrand’s law-enforcement unit. They coordinated on safety measures and increased patrols around local taxi ranks.
Hermanus Times reached out to the municipality regarding the allegations. However, the municipality did not provide a response at the time of publication.
