WC Taxi Conflict: A tale of violence, crime and corruption

CAPE Town has long been marred by waves of violence in the minibus taxi industry. Despite repeated interventions over the years, the sector remains engulfed in instability, with bloodshed often spilling into the lives of innocent commuters and communities.

- BENSON NGQENTSU

In April 2005, then-Premier Ebrahim Rasool established a Commission of Inquiry into taxi violence, chaired by Advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza.

The commission was tasked to investigate the underlying reasons for the violence that has plagued the industry; secondly, to identify the people or groups who are instigating or responsible for the violence, and thirdly, to establish the structural and institutional factors that contribute to the conflict.

Nearly two decades later, the commission’s findings remain disturbingly relevant. The report revealed a deeply entrenched culture of lawlessness within the industry marked by fear, silence, and the use of hit squads.

Most damning was the systemic failure to bring to justice those who orchestrate and benefit from the violence. These were not isolated incidents, but the symptoms of a broken, compromised system.