Australia & UK issue warnings about travel to Cape Town due to taxi strikes

South African expats (and locals) in Australia and the UK have received alerts from their governments about the potential danger of travel to Cape Town at the moment, due to taxi strikes which have turned violent.

A young South African living on the Gold Coast, forwarded SAPeople an email she received this weekend as a Smart Traveller subscriber. The Australian government said in its Update:

“Ongoing taxi strikes in the Cape Town area have the potential to turn violent, potentially impacting multiple areas, including journeys to and from the airport. Check for any disruption on your route before travelling, avoid protests and where safe, use major routes. Make sure you verify alternate routes recommended by your GPS are safe before undertaking.

“If safe to do so, consider delaying your journey and seek advice from your hotel or travel provider.”

Travellers were advised to stay up to date with Cape Town Airport’s twitter feed and the City of Cape Town feed.

The UK government has published a similar warning on its official website, also stressing that the strikes could impact journeys to and from the airport. Although published yesterday, the UK says the Warning is still current today.

The Australian government ended its Update advising travellers to “exercise a high degree of caution in South Africa due to the high level of serious crime.”

The strike is expected to end on Wed 9 August, although Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis is hoping that talks will lead to it ending sooner. SANTACO told the SABC today that it has issued demands to the government and will not stop until these are met.

What is the taxi strike about?

The taxi strikes began on Thursday when SANTACO (SA National Taxi Council) announced it was withdrawing its taxi operator services in the Western Cape. The organisation claims the province has unfairly impounded over 6,000 taxis this year (for overloading, lack of registration plates etc) thanks to a new by-law, rather than fining the drivers. In a statement SANTACO alleges it was “a deliberate attempt to destroy the taxi industry in the province”.

The strikes have led to chaos with thousands of commuters stranded, vehicles stoned and petrol bombed, drivers injured, traffic gridlocked and at least one person missing after having to walk home from University. Isabel Ndlovu has been missing since Thursday evening.

Another student, Exo Nia, said in a comment on Facebook that “we had no choice (but) to walk home from where we were at; and yes we know it was dangerous but were we supposed to sleep outside and be killed anyway? It’s rare to get people to offer you a ride because allowing a stranger in your car potentially puts your life in danger too because you don’t know them. Men or women. The situation was really bad. And a lot of people walked home that day. Because everyone just wanted to get home. Even though it wasn’t safe. We had to risk our lives as we have come to a point in this country that you don’t even know if you’re safe in your own house. I pray that she gets found soon!”