Long-simmering tensions between the e-hailing and minibus taxi industries have spread to the Western Cape, with drivers reporting incidents of intimidation, threats, and extortion by rank marshals in various parts of the city.
This follows similar clashes that have already been reported in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. The provincial e-hailing association states that its drivers are increasingly becoming targets, with many too fearful to report the incidents to the police.
The issue was highlighted by a recent case involving a female e-hailing driver who was confronted by a group of men at a shopping centre in Khayelitsha. The driver reported that the men accused her of stealing their customers and told her she had no right to operate in the area, which they claimed was covered by their permit.
“They say that I’m not allowed to drive there because their permit is taking from Khayelitsha to Wynberg or from Khayelitsha to the city,” the driver recounted. “I said mine is my app on the phone. So the app is going all over Western Cape. It’s not limiting me.”
The situation escalated when the men, in the presence of police officers, allegedly refused to release her vehicle until she paid them R1,500. When a police officer intervened, noting that the demand constituted extortion, the men reportedly apologized for their wording but insisted they “wanted to teach her a lesson.” The driver said the police were then asked to leave, and the men later threatened to confiscate her car permanently if she operated in the area again. She confirmed she did not pay the money.
In a panic, she contacted the E-Hailing Association, whose members encouraged her to call the SAPS extortion hotline, which she said yielded no results. A member of the association who responded to the scene described his frustration with the police response.
“I told him listen, this is extortion… He said okay he’s going to try his best to get her key back but he cannot guarantee anything,” the association member said. “I expected something more from him because they are the law and they were supposed to enforce the law, which they did not do.”
The E-Hailing Association warns this is not an isolated case, with more drivers coming forward with similar reports throughout the metro. They have called for a roundtable discussion involving the minibus taxi leadership and the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) to find a resolution and prevent a further escalation of tensions.
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for CATA (Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association), which was accused of involvement in the Khayelitsha incident, stated the association does not condone such behavior.
“We don’t promote such barbaric acts to take place,” the CATA spokesperson said. However, he pointed to broader systemic issues, calling for the Department of Transport to carefully consider the terms of operating licenses. “When they issue operating licenses, they need to be careful as to where this operating license will be operating because I think some of the people are being taken closer to taxi ranks.”
While no official police case has been opened related to the Khayelitsha incident, provincial authorities have confirmed that extortion-related crimes are among their priority cases. They are urging victims to come forward and report any incidents, advising those who are unsatisfied with the initial response from officers to escalate their complaints to police management.
