In brief
On Saturday, South Africa’s Parliament denounced a surge of minibus taxi violence in Cape Town that claimed five lives and disrupted airport operations. Chairperson Donald Selamolela urged rapid national industry action and law‑enforcement visibility to protect voters amid upcoming local elections. Airports Company South Africa reported 60 flight delays by mid‑afternoon Friday, with an average one‑hour delay and no cancellations.
On Saturday, South Africa’s Parliament condemned an outbreak of minibus taxi violence in the Western Cape that claimed five lives and threatened Cape Town’s airport operations, as stated in a parliamentary statement released Friday.
In the statement, Donald Selamolela, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport, addressed the tragedy:
We send our deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and wish speedy recovery to all those affected. This is a sad development in our country. The last thing we need is this bout of sporadic shootings that seem to be indiscriminate. We condemn the criminality and violence that accompanies this outbreak and call on law enforcement to ensure and maintain visibility until calm has been restored.
Selamolela added that the violence came at a time when the government was working to maximize support for public transport and highlighted that the criminality should not impact voters’ expression in the local elections scheduled for the next week.
According to local media reports, five men were killed and four others wounded in three separate shootings on Thursday morning across Cape Town, including an incident at the Delft taxi rank.
The unrest also affected Cape Town International Airport. Airports Company South Africa stated that, as of 13:00 on Friday, a total of 60 flight delays had been recorded, comprising 44 domestic departures, 11 international departures and five arrivals, with an average delay of roughly 60 minutes and no cancellations.
The Western Cape High Court has granted an interim interdict against two individuals involved in the incidents, further underscoring the legal response to the violence.
