Equal Education has raised concerns about the impact of the ongoing taxi strike by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) on learners and commuters in Western Cape.
The taxi council urged the government to find a solution to the impasse, as learners’ ability to access schools safely is threatened.
The call comes after the Western Cape department of education reported that over 280 000 learners and nearly 10 000 teachers and staff members were absent from school because of fears of violence.
“As tensions between the Western Cape government and Santaco grow, and with the strike continuing this week, many learners and their families who live on the outskirts of Cape Town and rely on public transport to get to and from school are mostly affected.
“Learners are forced to make other plans to travel to school or to stay at home if the situation in their community is particularly tense or if schools are closed as a result.
“Even learners who use private transport or walk to school may also be affected if violent attacks such as torching and stone-throwing of vehicles continue,” said Equal Education.
It said this is not the first time this year that learning in the province has been disrupted because of tensions between the provincial government and Santaco.
At the start of the school year in February, about 5 000 learners were prevented from travelling to school due to a taxi blockade.
A similar taxi strike in 2022 almost disrupted the matric examination when 128 000 learners in the province were kept from accessing their schools.
A high school teacher shared: “These flare-ups have serious consequences for learners and school communities in marginalised areas like townships, where it is difficult to change routines and plans to accommodate disruptions to access to school and work.
“As teachers, we are determined to come to school and teach, but is it unsafe for us to travel. There have been threats of burning schools and assaulting teaching staff.
“Some of us are now escorting learners back home, to ensure they are safe.”
Learners also shared how the strike is affecting them.
“The taxi strike is really affecting me in so many ways. I am being left behind in my school work. Others [learners] are continuing while I have to stay home,” said a grade 12 learner.
“This means that there is a possibility that I will fail my trial exams. It is really hard for us because it is affecting our studies.”
Added Equal Education: “While protest action is an important political tool, the current situation is disappointing, especially because it leaves children and our schools vulnerable.
“We appeal to both parties to find common ground. The provincial government and Santaco need to take action right away and prioritise the safety of learners and our school communities.”
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