Summary:
- Five people killed in violent clashes during ongoing minibus taxi driver strike in Cape Town.
- Santaco announces one-week provincial shutdown in protest of new municipal law, leading to confrontations with local government.
- Violence escalates after police impound vehicles; 120 suspects arrested for property damage and public violence.
- Cape Town commuters left stranded as attacks on public transportation hinder daily travel.
- Santaco distances itself from violence, attributing the unrest to protesters rather than its members.
Five people have been killed in the South African city of Cape Town as a strike by minibus taxi drivers that began last week turned violent, authorities said on Tuesday. The South African National Taxi Council, Santaco, announced a one-week provincial shutdown last Thursday after failing to resolve various issues with the local government in Cape Town. The grievances arose after new municipal law gave local authorities the power to impound vehicles for violations such as driving without a license or registration plates. After police began impounding vehicles last week, violence erupted in different parts of the city. Among the dead was a 40-year-old British national who was shot and killed on Thursday. South African police minister, Becky Selle, said in a media briefing on Tuesday he added that the murders and the violence were being investigated. Selle also said that about 120 suspects had been arrested since Thursday for damaging property, looting and public violence.
The office of the city of Cape Town said the strike had severely affected people commuting to work and at times left them stranded due to attacks on public transportation services. Santaco has distanced itself from the violence and said that such acts were fueled by protesters, not by its members.