Western Cape turns to courts to settle contested taxi rights

The Western Cape government has gone to court over taxi operating rights in Cape Town, asking the judiciary to settle a question that industry self-regulation has failed to answer and that has now cost lives.

The province’s Mobility Department confirmed it is seeking urgent court intervention to clarify the contested rights. The move follows a string of shootings between rival taxi associations that began on 16 October, incidents that have resulted in murders and attempted murders. Provincial and city mobility authorities have since convened meetings with industry representatives to discuss measures aimed at restoring stability.

At the centre of the provincial response sits Mobility Minister Isaac Sileku. His department is pursuing legal clarity and investigating alleged violations by identified taxi associations. The dual track shows the department treating the conflict as a matter of regulatory compliance as much as public safety, with the conduct of specific associations now under formal scrutiny.

Sileku has placed responsibility squarely on industry leadership. Addressing representatives after a meeting between the province, the city and the taxi industry, he said the time for negotiation without consequence had passed. “We met with the taxi industry today because enough is enough. No dispute over routes or operating rights is worth a human life. Together with the city, we are strengthening law enforcement and pursuing legal action to restore stability. Our message to taxi leaders is clear: end the violence and take responsibility. Residents deserve to travel safely, without fear or disruption.”

By seeking a court ruling, the department is effectively asking a judicial answer where the industry could not produce one itself, and on an urgent basis given the loss of life.

The City of Cape Town has aligned itself with that approach. It says it will work alongside the South African Police Service to ensure commuters can travel safely to and from work, without being prevented from reaching their destinations by taxi-related violence. It has also pledged support for stricter law enforcement measures in affected communities.

Meanwhile, the city’s Safety and Security Directorate frames its mandate in terms of keeping the transport system functioning. Commissioner Johan Brandt said the directorate’s commitment is to protect commuters’ ability to move freely, and that the city stands fully behind the police service in that effort. “We will ensure that people get to work and back safely because we can’t be sitting with a situation where our communities are prevented from getting to work and back. We fully support South African Police Service on its efforts and jointly we will address those issues.”

Taken together, the provincial and city responses describe a two-track approach: enforcement on the ground, delivered jointly with the national police service, and litigation to settle the underlying question of operating rights. Both spheres of government have kept a channel open to industry representatives even as enforcement and court action proceed.

What remains unresolved is how quickly the courts can deliver the clarity the province is seeking, and whether the associations under investigation will be held to account for the violations the Mobility Department says it has identified. For now, the accountability burden rests with taxi industry leaders, whom the minister has publicly called upon to end the bloodshed and guarantee that commuters can travel without fear.