WATCH: Passengers removed from cars after Santaco calls off taxi strike in Limpopo

2026-03-26 - 11:31

Following a planned “tools-down” taxi strike that was “called off” by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in Limpopo earlier this week, videos have circulated on social media showing alleged taxi operators removing passengers from Avanza six-seater cars while en route to their destinations. The incident took place along Nelson Mandela Drive in Goseame, where minibuses blocked the road, leaving motorists and commuters stranded. According to reports from Tzaneen Voice, traffic came to a complete standstill. Taxi patrollers target commuters The incident occurred despite Santaco Limpopo announcing that the planned taxi strike, scheduled for Wednesday, 25 March 2026, had been cancelled. Commuters were informed that taxis would continue operating normally, following their usual routes and schedules without whout interruption. Although operations appear to be continuing, the video shows alleged taxi patrollers hovering over the six-seater Avanza cars, knocking on the windows and opening the car doors so passengers can get out. As the car tried to make its way through the crowd of angry patrollers and operators, the passenger in the front seat immediately closed the door after it was opened and did not get out. However, the passenger in the backseat is seen evacuating the vehicle after patrollers opened the back door. What appear to be police authorities in blue vests are also seen trying to reduce traffic and prevent patrollers from removing passengers. It appears that taxi patrollers largely targeted smaller cars used to privately transport passengers to their destinations. Video: Tzaneen Voice. The incident follows the Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety received a memorandum earlier this week from a collective of taxi associations highlighting concerns over route permits and safety issues facing the taxi industry in the province. Reports claim that Stephen Matjena, the head of department (HOD), personally accepted the memorandum during a meeting with industry representatives earlier this week. Strike continues despite cancellation In the statement released earlier this week, Santaco noted several reasons for calling off the strike. “All taxi operators and associated members are hereby notified that the tools-down is called off.” “The decision to cancel the tool-down has been reached after careful consideration of stakeholder engagements, the public interest and the need to maintain uninterrupted transportation services for communities relying on taxi transport.” The statement urged committees to continue consultations with members to resolve outstanding issues and to explore alternatives that support both service delivery and worker welfare. Santaco has not yet identified the perpetrators Speaking to The Citizen on Thursday, Sipho Maloma of Santaco Limpopo confirmed that taxi operators continued the strike, despite Santaco and the Department of Transport and Community Safety holding a meeting on Tuesday where they had agreed to call it off. Maloma would not comment on the incident shown in the video, saying he did not know who the perpetrators were. READ MORE: Santaco elects new committee in Limpopo as taxi industry faces many challenges – Will anything change?