The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confirmed the arrest and charge of Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) president, Siviwe Kiva, who is expected to appear in court on Monday. NPA Western Cape spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said that Kiva will appear at the Paarl Magistrate’s Court, but the charge has yet to be confirmed.
CATA spokesperson, Nkululeko Sityebi, confirmed the arrest when approached by the media, but did not elaborate further. This development comes after the Western Cape’s two largest taxi associations – Congress of Democratic Taxi Association (CODETA) and CATA – met to sign a peace agreement in May.
Taxi Violence in the Western Cape
The meeting was held at Nyanga Terminus and followed an onslaught of violence late last year, which saw several CATA members being shot and killed. According to the South African Government, the violence escalated between the two taxi associations, resulting in bloodshed and a temporary interdict being granted in August 2025.
In December 2025, MEC for Mobility, Isaac Sileku, welcomed the Western Cape High Court’s decision to make the interim order permanent, aimed at curbing violence and intimidation within the taxi industry. The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) was approached for comment, but told the media that it was not able to respond yet on the matter.
Related Cases
Meanwhile, Mpumalanga taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni and co-accused Oupa Johannes “Bafana” Sindane have filed an urgent High Court application in Mbombela to stop police from arresting them. The pair wants the court to suspend and later cancel J50 warrants of arrest issued against them, claiming the warrants were obtained irregularly and are unconstitutional.
They are also seeking an order preventing police and the NPA from carrying out the arrests while the matter is before the court. Sibanyoni and his co-accused face allegations of extorting more than R2 million in so-called protection fees from a local mining entrepreneur, as reported by the Western Cape Government.
- Taxi associations in the Western Cape have been plagued by violence and intimidation
- The CATA president’s arrest is the latest development in the ongoing saga
- The South African National Taxi Council has not commented on the matter yet
