The City of Cape Town is considering a civil suit against organisers of last week’s taxi protest.
Damages caused by the taxi protests ran into millions, with initial assessments over R4 million.
“This is just based on the damages that the City is aware of, and has been able to confirm with various property owners and entities affected by the violence,” says Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith.
In Bloekombos a truck and three vehicles were set alight and one bus stoned during the protest. Motorists in Brackenfell and surrounds received an early morning warning from the Brackenfell Business Improvement District (BBID) to avoid the area around Bloekombos as cars were being pelted with stones.
Smith says it has been ascertained that damages worth R3,5 million was done to Golden Arrow Bus Service, R380 000 to private vehicles and R275 000 to City infrastructure.
“These figures do not include the damage to private vehicles where we have not been able to make contact with the owners. Nor does it take into account the economic losses suffered by individuals and businesses because of the traffic gridlock that meant people could not get to work on time, make deliveries on time or meet their obligations to clients.
“Not to mention the innocent bystanders who were hurt trying to escape attacks on vehicles and who would have had to spend money to pay for medical care; who might be losing out on time at work due to physical or emotional trauma,” says Smith.
City-wide chaos ensued on Thursday when vehicles were stoned, petrol-bombed, hijacked and looted.
“It cannot be the case that those behind violent protests are let off the hook time and again.”
Violence ensued when the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and Congress of Democratic Taxi Association’s (Codeta) marched to the provincial legislature to hand over a memorandum of grievances that include the impoundment of taxis.
