SANTACO, NTA distance themselves from the planned national shutdown scheduled for Friday

By Mujidu Victor

The South African national shutdown has been inflicted by the incomprehensible impend of fuel prices.

However, the two South Africa’s biggest taxi associations, SANTACO and NTA refute to be part of the national shutdown which is believed to be planned for Friday.

The statement on the allegedly planned strike in response to the skyrocketing fuel prices has been shared on social media and specifically on Twitter. Under the #NationalShutdown.

According to local media, the national joint operational and intelligence personnel announced that the internal law enforcement officers had been deployed and well prepared to counter the threats of the “national shutdown.”

Taxi unions are unhappy following the escalation of fuel prices that have increased recently.

As of now, the petrol price has increased by R2.43 per litre, an amount equivalent to Ksh18.69. While diesel increased by a rand per litre, a price that fluctuated by last week.

Both the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) and National Taxi Alliance (NTA) have stated that all associations under their umbrella would not participate in the shutdown.

“So this then means that even associations that don’t toe the line, should they do that they will be completely out of line and they’ll be reprimanded,” said the alliance’s Theo Malele.

However, the CEO of Fidelity Services Group, Wahl Bartmann, said that teams were on standby with contingency plans to manage any unrest that may happen.

Mr Bartmann said that its service group would place their choppers on standby ready to render full aid.

Meanwhile, Cape Town city has called upon the national government to urgently address the fuel price escalation matter.

The City Safety and Security boss, JP Smith, said that the metro’s law enforcement officials are on high alert.”We call on the national government to address the concerns of exorbitantly inflated fuel prices that have a direct impact on the communities’ livelihood and their ability to feed their families. We all need to do the work we’ve promised to do to serve the public and ensure a better life for everyone,” Mr Smith said.