Johannesburg – Despite it being exam season, the Gauteng Department of Education’s Steve Mabona have urged parents to keep children at home for their own safety.
“The Gauteng Education Department urges parents to keep their children at home today due to the national taxi strike,” said the GDE's spokesperson.
“For the sake of the safety of the children the Department believes that all precautionary measures should be taken to keep our children safe,” he said.
The Department urged all schools to give learners that could not make it today a second opportunity to write exams.
“We understand that many schools are writing exams but assure parents that children that did not go to school today will be given a second opportunity.
Despite it being exam season, Gauteng Department of Education urging parents to keep kids at home today due to #TaxiStrike: @ReporterStar pic.twitter.com/SY9hEoqdxC
— Ilanit Chernick (@LanC_02) June 15, 2017
“The Department has communicated to all school principals to give children that could not make it to school today another opportunity to write at a later stage,” Mabona said.
Mabona added that in cases where children have made it to school safely the schools were urged to make a determination whether to continue with the exams that were scheduled today, subject to the condition that it is safe to do so.
On Thursday morning major highways between Joburg and Tshwane were in chaos as the taxi strike intensified leaving thousands of commuters across Gauteng stranded.
As the morning wore on the N1 North at Allandale was reopened whilst the south side remained blockaded.
Several trucks were also used by taxi drivers to block off these areas of the highways.
There were also go-slows on parts of the N3, M2 East, Golden Highway and N12.
Some taxis within joburg operating. Some with commuters, some without. #TaxiStrike pic.twitter.com/MHu5QSxsVJ
— Ilanit Chernick (@LanC_02) June 15, 2017
TUT strike has lost top 1 spot. #ZumaMustFall protest still - #3 #FeesMustFall protest still - #2 #TaxiStrike takes the cake - #1 pic.twitter.com/EXqD5YfxOX
— Les Da Chairman (@MrLesDaChairman) June 15, 2017
According to Santaco, the strike is due to monthly instalments on the Toyota Quantum’s it uses are simply unaffordable.
“We are going to hand over a memorandum of grievances to the Directors of The South African Taxi Finance offices in Midrand.
“Some members of the Taxi Industry has been hard hit by high interest rate of 28% and blacklisting due to payment of R15 000 per month over 72 months. We can't take it anymore,” it said in a statement
“Note that there are no taxis that will be running and advice commuters to seek alternative transport. We apologise for any inconvenience that will be caused,” Santaco added.
According to Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Superintendent Wayne Minnaar the strike began at around 3am.
“I can confirm taxi drivers hijacked trucks to block the freeway at Allendale off ramp.
“The strike is scheduled to end at 3pm,” he said.
Gauteng police services spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said police were monitoring the situation closely and had managed to push some of the taxi’s of parts of the N1 North.
The Gautrain also suspended its bus services due to the strike, however trains were still running while Metrorail suspended its trains in and around the Atteridgeville area.
Centurion - N1 South: #TaxiProtest RT @Forbookthieves @TrafficSA N1 towards Brakfontein Interchange pic.twitter.com/qYV6oUmsOt
— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) June 15, 2017
JHB - #TaxiProtest N1 North: RT @amukelanibl #TaxiStrike Road blocked on N1 N before Malibongwe offramp. @TrafficSA pic.twitter.com/U3VFHwUlkN
— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) June 15, 2017
Several witnesses told The Star that some of the Gautrain stations had been blocked by taxi’s and it was unsafe to go into the stations.
Londi Mbokazi said she was unable to get into the Midrand Gautrain station due to the taxis blocking the entrances.
There were also reports of cars being stoned by taxi drivers for attempting to get through the blockade.
Some taxis were seen operating within and around Joburg and the CBD despite threats that the area may be closed down by striking taxi drivers. The M1 North and South within Joburg was also still seen operating but reports were coming in from Soweto and Freedom park that taxis were not operating leaving commuters stranded.
@Lanc_02
ilanit.chernick@inl.co.za