Hundreds of Cape Town minibus taxi drivers marched through the CBD to the Western Cape Premier’s office. They had started their strike action early in the morning, bringing early morning traffic to a standstill. Various vehicles and busses were torched during early morning traffic.

Premier Alan Winde was not in office to receive their memorandum and it was handed instead to a representative of his office. The taxi drivers have demanded the provincial government stop impounding their vehicles. Taxi drivers claim they are being fired for operating on routes for which no permits have been issued. Taxi operators claim they are providing a service on routes where commuters have no other public transport optrions.

The taxi drivers agreed to wait seven days for a response from Premier Alan Winde’s office, failing which they will return. After the memorandum was handed over the protest ended peacefully with taxi drivers walking back back to their vehicles escorted by riot police.