The Ngcobo Taxi Association has given the government 21 days to resolve its long-running licensing dispute with Intercape, failing which the three-week community shutdown suspended last week will resume. The ultimatum was confirmed to GroundUp by association representative Khuthele Jezile on Thursday, four days after a National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINT) meeting that temporarily calmed the Eastern Cape town.
The shutdown, which taxi operators joined on 18 August 2026, saw minibus taxis refuse to pick up passengers, roadblocks erected, and vehicles carrying more than two people confronted. Residents were cut off from health services, Home Affairs, SASSA offices, and schools; thousands of learners stayed home, and economic activity ground to a halt.
Jezile told GroundUp the protest was not only about Intercape but also about service delivery and unfinished projects. “We will decide in 21 days whether to resume our strike,” he said.
At the heart of the conflict is a claim by the taxi association that Intercape, a long-distance coach operator, is exceeding its permitted number of loading points in Ngcobo. However, Intercape’s lawyer, Jac Marais of Adams & Adams, said the association and the Dr AB Xuma municipality intervened in court in December 2025 and conceded during the hearing that Intercape holds valid operating licences.
“The taxi association and the Dr AB Xuma Municipality – using the same attorney and the same advocate – in December 2025 applied to court to intervene in Intercape’s proceedings against SAPS,” Marais said. “They contended that Intercape’s operating licences were not valid, but during the hearing they conceded that Intercape did have valid operating licences.”
Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira separately told EWN that the eNgcobo Taxi Association abandoned its challenge to the company’s permits. The High Court in Makhanda has issued multiple orders directing the SAPS to maintain a visible presence and escort Intercape buses when violence threatens. Contempt proceedings against national and provincial police commissioners and the Ngcobo station commander are scheduled for 13 October 2026.
The shutdown was suspended on 7 September after the NATJOINT meeting, which included directors-general of transport, cooperative governance and home affairs. However, Jezile warned that the truce depends on government delivering a resolution within the three-week window.
GroundUp and EWN originally reported the unfolding events. CapeFlats.co.za has not independently verified the 21-day deadline or the details of the NATJOINT meeting and is monitoring the situation from Cape Town.
What remains unknown is whether the Department of Transport will accede to the taxi association’s demand to review Intercape’s permits, and if the SAPS will comply with the existing court orders before the contempt hearing. CapeFlats.co.za journalist Wendy Mothata will check with the Ngcobo station commander on Monday for any new developments.