Western Cape SANTACO leadership pledges end to deadly taxi violence and announces upcoming peace summit

New SANTACO Western Cape leaders vow to end deadly route wars between CATA and CODETA, announcing a peace summit to restore safety for commuters.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 15, 2026, 9:06 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Eyewitness News

A New Chapter for Western Cape Transit

The leadership of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the Western Cape has officially signaled a move toward peace, following years of bloodied rivalry within the industry. During a formal introduction of the newly elected provincial board in Khayelitsha on Wednesday, taxi bosses publicly pledged to de-escalate the tensions that have claimed the lives of numerous drivers and association leaders. This commitment is viewed as a critical step in restoring order to a sector that serves as the backbone of public transport for millions of residents in the province.

Ending the CATA-CODETA Rivalry

For years, the Western Cape taxi industry has been marred by a deadly conflict between two primary associations: the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and the Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA). At the heart of this violence are persistent disputes over lucrative taxi routes throughout Cape Town and its surrounding townships. The new SANTACO leadership acknowledged that these "turf wars" have created a climate of fear, not only for those working within the associations but for the commuters who rely on their services daily.

A Mandate of Non-Violence and Lawful Resolution

The newly elected provincial chairperson, Besuthu Ndungane, used the Khayelitsha meeting to issue a stern mandate to his members: firearms are no longer to be used as tools for dispute resolution. Ndungane emphasized that the industry has an obligation to act as law-abiding citizens and must stop taking the law into its own hands. He urged members to trust the institutional partnerships formed with the provincial government to find administrative and legal solutions to route disagreements, rather than resorting to the street-level warfare that characterized previous years.