The ANC in the Western Cape, along with SANCO, have pulled out of Monday’s planned march against the illegal impoundment of taxis by Cape Town’s Traffic service.
The EFF, ANC and various other civic groups held talks last week.
But, the ANC withdrew from the protest action after a multi-party meeting, in Athlone on Sunday.
In that meeting, the EFF indicated that it would be a shutdown as protestors will head to Endabeni Municipality Complex.
However, the ANC opposed the position saying they did not want workers to be affected.
The ANC’s Jabu Mfusi says they’ll only support a peaceful march.
” We have always emphasised the point that it’s not going to be a shutdown, it’s going to be a peaceful march. Underline that a peaceful march that will going to handover a memorandum. We believed in bringing this march we are equal, we are a multiparty of many organisations. Our message and language is not one with regarding the definition what will happen there”.
Meanwhile, the EFF says it termed the protest action “shutdown”, as it understood that taxis would not be available to ferry workers.
Provincial chairperson Unathi Ntame says there are no intentions to create chaos in the Metro.
“We never intended to harm anyone; we never intended any situation that is going to be violent. We said it is a shutdown because we believed that if there’re no taxis on the road then it is a shutdown, because the economy can’t function optimally. So we have moved away a bit from the question of the shutdown because Santaco said there’s going to be normality at taxi ranks”.
Taxi Mother body Santaco says it will not prevent its members who wish to participate in the planned march for today.
SANTACO, Deputy chairperson Nceba Enge says they will not be taking part in the march, however, they cannot prevent their members affiliated to political parties from joining them.
” Santaco members who belong to their respective political parties will participate in the march. We can’t say that they can’t go, because they will be going there in their capacity as members of their respective political parties”.
