Nine taxis were destroyed in a fire at the Nyanga Taxi Rank in Cape Town during the early hours of Friday morning, 6 March, according to reports from Cape {town} Etc.
The blaze broke out along Emms Drive shortly after 1am. Police spokesperson Captain Frederick Van Wyk said members of Nyanga SAPS noticed smoke while patrolling Terminus Road around 1:30am and discovered the nine taxis on fire. Fire & Rescue Services were immediately called to the scene.
City of Cape Town Fire & Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse confirmed that several crews were dispatched, containing and extinguishing the fire by 2am. Preliminary reports indicate that five Toyota Quantums and four Iveco Sprinters were destroyed. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains unknown.
Although the exact cause is yet to be determined, social media reports suggest the incident may be linked to taxi route disputes.
Benson Ngqentsu, ANC spokesperson for Mobility in the Western Cape Legislature and Provincial Secretary of the SACP, strongly condemned the incident, calling it an “egregious act of criminality” and urging authorities to take decisive action against criminal elements within the taxi industry. He also highlighted the importance of functional surveillance cameras at the taxi rank to aid the investigation and warned that accountability will fall on the DA-led City of Cape Town if these systems are not operational.
This is not the first incident at the Nyanga Taxi Rank. In February 2025, nearly 20 taxis were torched, believed to be the result of internal disputes within the Seawater association operating between Nyanga and Cape Town.
Captain Van Wyk added that SAPS officers remain on site, with patrol vehicles monitoring taxi routes and ranks, and an official enquiry has been opened to investigate the cause of the fire.
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