The Cape Town taxi association and its members have been ordered by the Western Cape High Court to stop interfering with scholar transport.
The Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) was taken to court by the Western Cape Education Department’s MEC David Maynier after more than 5 000 learners were barred from boarding the buses last month.
And yesterday (Wednesday), the high court granted the final interdict against Codeta, preventing it from obstructing, interfering, and stopping the transporting of learners within the province.
Maynier said: “This is a victory for the parents and children of Khayelitsha and surrounds, who have been terrorised for weeks, with over 5 100 learners missing school at the height of the blockade.
“The court has sent a strong message to the minibus taxi mafia: there is no excuse for violating the constitutional rights of our children, or for putting parents in the terrible position of having to choose between their children’s education and keeping them safely at home.
“It has also put an end to the hollow claims made by Codeta that they are somehow not involved in the criminal actions they announced that they were taking.”
The association and its affiliated members are also interdicted and restrained from issuing threats to the applicants, service providers, learners and members of the public to the effect that they will obstruct, interfere and stop the transporting of learners within the Western Cape.
“We trust that the SAPS will ensure that the interdict is enforced, and that any further disruptions are prevented.
“The respondents have also been ordered to pay costs, which we will pursue.
“We now encourage our parents to send their children back to school if they feel comfortable doing so, so that our teachers can determine how much work needs to be caught up and implemented plans to do so,” he added.
Codeta spokesman Andile Khanyi said the association promised the judge the first time they appeared in court that they would stop interfering with the buses.
“We stopped and we have not gone back to the blockade as per our agreement in court.
“We stood down and we will keep doing so.”
Weekend Argus