Thousands of Cape Town commuters were stranded on Thursday after an escalation in the conflict between rival taxi associations left seven people dead on Wednesday.
Taxi ranks across the city were empty and taxi drivers stayed at home. With no trains running on Cape Town’s central line, commuters were forced to take buses or stay at home.
The Western Cape government said on Wednesday that 71 people have been murdered in the conflict since the start of the year. “Conflict between rival taxi 'mother bodies' Cata and Codeta cost the lives of seven taxi operators in separate incidents throughout the City of Cape Town this morning,” said transport MEC Daylin Mitchell.
“The violence is believed to be the result of a fight over which taxi association’s drivers are allowed to commute on certain routes.”