By Bhekizenzo Zonele
Rival Cape Town taxi associations have agreed to a seven-day ceasefire following weeks of deadly violence over disputed routes, with government-mediated talks aimed at preventing further killings and restoring commuter safety.
The Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (CODETA) reached the agreement during a meeting with the Western Cape Government, City of Cape Town and South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) on Monday, 2 November 2026.
The agreement follows weeks of violence linked to disputed taxi routes in Delft, Langa and Epping, which has claimed at least 12 lives and disrupted public transport services across parts of the city.
Both associations have committed to ending the violence and participating in an independently facilitated mediation process to resolve disputes over operating licences and access to taxi routes.
Western Cape Mobility Minister Isaac Sileku welcomed the agreement but warned that both associations needed to honour their commitments.
“Today’s meeting is a step in the right direction. But the violence must stop. This is non-negotiable. Both associations must put down their guns and work towards a peaceful solution. Residents must be able to use public transport without fearing for their lives. We owe it to them to make this process work,” Sileku said.
According to the agreement, each association will initially meet separately with city and provincial officials, with SANTACO observing and an independent facilitator leading the discussions.
The parties will identify the most pressing issues before returning to joint negotiations aimed at finding an acceptable resolution. Further discussions with the provincial government are scheduled for 10 November.
The truce comes after the Western Cape Government secured an interim High Court interdict against CATA, CODETA and their affiliated associations and members.
The order prohibits violence, intimidation, road blockades, unlawful route takeovers, interference with public transport and damage to property. It also restricts firearms and dangerous weapons at transport facilities and on affected routes.
The associations’ leadership must communicate the order to members and take steps to ensure compliance. The matter is scheduled to return to court on 20 November, when respondents will have an opportunity to explain why the interim order should not be made final.
In a separate action, the provincial taxi registrar suspended the registration of the CATA Langa Inter-township Taxi Association for six months following an investigation into unlawful operations in Epping.
The registrar found that the association had permitted unlawful route invasions and failed to take reasonable steps to control its drivers and members.
During the suspension, members are prohibited from applying for new operating licences or renewing, amending or transferring existing licences.
The violence has caused widespread disruption to commuters who depend on minibus taxis to travel to work and school.
The city temporarily closed the Delft Public Transport Interchange last week following shootings linked to the dispute, leaving passengers stranded and raising concerns about safety at taxi ranks.
The disruptions also affected Cape Town International Airport, where staff shortages on Friday led to lengthy queues at security screening points.
Airport acting regional manager Malcolm Koopman said at least half of the airport’s staff had been unable to report for duty because of the transport disruptions.
The latest violence follows years of conflict within the Western Cape taxi industry.
According to figures provided by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in a written reply to the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, 138 incidents of taxi-related violence were recorded during the 2025/26 financial year, compared with 104 the previous year.
The number of fatalities also increased from 46 in 2024/25 to 51 in 2025/26. These figures cover the entire province.
The latest clashes have included several fatal shootings, among them the killing of two men near the intersection of NY1 and NY3A in Gugulethu on 27 October.
A 38-year-old taxi driver was also shot dead inside a Toyota Quantum minibus in Khayelitsha on the same day.
SANTACO Western Cape spokesperson Makhosandile Tumana welcomed the commitment from both associations, saying commuter and operator safety needed to take priority.
“We all agreed with one common goal of respecting members of society, which means our commuters, drivers and operators,” Tumana said.
City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas said taxi services would continue operating while the mediation process took place.
“I would like to assure commuters that public transport is operational across all modes. This will continue to be monitored. Commuters can expect ranks and stations across the city to operate normally for the rest of the week,” Quintas said.
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