The Western Cape Mobility Minister, Isaac Sileku has published a notice of intent in the Provincial Gazette to extend taxi route closures between Somerset West, Mfuleni, Khayelitsha and Strand.

The routes were shut down for 30 days last month, following widespread gun violence in which at least eight people were killed.

Rival taxi associations, Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta), were given this time period to engage and commit to ending violence and intimidation while their issues are dealt with.

Sileku extended the closures by one day. He has given Cata and Codeta a 24-hour notice period to sign a peace agreement before he decides on whether to issue a final notice to extend the route closures for another 30 days.

In the Gazette, Sileku states that he closed the routes following a deadly conflict between taxi associations, and the root cause of the violence has not been addressed, and that tensions are ongoing.

“What we are actually looking for now is for them to actually say that we intend to work with the government to resolve some of the issues because we are all cognisant of the fact that some of these issues are those which won’t be resolved in a space of three or two days.”

Sileku adds, “So what we are looking for now is for their commitment to say we are willing to look at these issues, while we are looking for solutions, there won’t be killings, there won’t be intimidations.”

Parties have until 3 pm on Friday to comment on the notice, before Sileku makes a final decision to extend the closures.

If the route closures are extended, they will come into effect on Saturday. Both Cata and Codeta have said that they are locked in meetings.