WATCH | Two dead & 35 suspects arrested as violent taxi strike grips Cape Town

Police have arrested 35 people for alleged violence related to the ongoing taxi strike, the City of Cape Town said on Monday.

Of the arrests 27 are related to a taxi blockade on the N2 which caused major traffic disruptions on Monday. The city said eight taxi drivers were arrested at Mfuleni. 

“We have witnessed attempts by elements within the taxi industry to generate chaos in our city,” the city said.

Reported incidents on Monday included:

• Four Golden Arrow buses were torched.
• Four private vehicles were destroyed by fires. 
• Two trucks were torched at a city depot on Govan Mbeki Road.
• A vehicle belonging to the city was hijacked in Samora Machel.

Metro police officers came under fire at about 5.30am on Monday at a taxi blockade at Borcherds Quarry near Cape Town International Airport. No injuries were reported.

The latest incidents follow previous violent incidents including the murder of a Leap officer in Nyanga on Friday evening. City of Cape Town vehicles have also been targeted.

The Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (Leap) is a joint Western Cape government and City of Cape Town community safety project.

The city said it is concerned some of the violence was premeditated.

“The city continues to work closely with the police service to quell these attacks, and ensure safe passage not only for commuters but the public at large. Our efforts are being co-ordinated through our joint operations Centre in Goodwood, and we are deploying as many resources as we have at our disposal to prevent attacks, or respond to incidents as soon as possible.” 

TimesLIVE