The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) announced late on Thursday (10 August) the industrial action – which led to the death of a UK national and four other people – had been called off “after painstaking deliberations and immense pressure on all parties involved”.
“I am pleased to announce that as part of the resolution reached between the taxi industry and the government, there is an agreement that the next 14 days will be utilised to work towards the release of the vehicles that were wrongly impounded,” Santaco Western Cape chairperson Mandla Hermanus said in a statement.
The announcement was welcomed by tourism minister Patricia de Lille, who said she was relieved by the industrial action’s end, while the Foreign Office called on holidaymakers to "still check for any disruption on your route before travelling and try to stick to major routes".
The week-long strike was called last week by drivers of minibus taxis – the city’s main mode of transport – over “heavy-handed” police tactics, which included impounding their vehicles more often than for normal motorists.
The strikes have prompted a Foreign Office travel warning, which urged all holidaymakers to avoid or delay travels to and from the airport.
Tourism minister Patricia de Lille also said the government was working hard at bolstering tourism safety in the country in the wake of the British national’s death.
“South Africa is dedicated to ensuring a secure experience for all who live and visit our country,” de Lille added. “It is important that we make sure visitors to our country feel safe to enjoy our wide open spaces, warm people, and an array of tourism experiences and quality-assured establishments and facilities.”
