Police Minister, Bheki Cele, has facilitated a peace agreement between two taxi organisations Bata and Uncedo that saw the return of taxis in Mthatha on Friday night.
Police management said that the signing of the agreement will result in automatic removal of a stringent measures regulated through a government gazette authorising closure of taxi trade on two major routes from Mthatha to Port St Johns, Tsolo and Maclear roads.
A police statement said that this breakthrough was reached in a meeting that was held on Friday night and attended by Minister Cele, Eastern Cape Safety MEC, Weziwe Tikana, Eastern Cape police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga, the mayor from OR Tambo District Municipality and representative of taxi associations and the clergy.
A further meeting will be held on Sunday to iron out some outstanding details about the peace agreement.
Cele instituted a ban on taxi operations on several routes around Mthatha following ongoing taxi violence which has left at least 60 people dead since it broke out in 2016.
