WATCH | British doctor one of five killed since taxi strike started in Cape Town

Five people have been killed in the City of Cape Town as a strike by minibus taxi drivers that began last week turned violent, authorities said on Tuesday.

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) announced a one-week provincial shutdown last Thursday after failing to resolve issues with the local government in Cape Town.

The grievances arose after a new municipal law gave local authorities the power to impound vehicles for violations such as driving without a licence or registration plates.

After police began impounding vehicles last week, violence erupted in parts of the city.

Among the dead was a 40-year-old British national, who was shot dead on Thursday last week, police minister Bheki Cele said in a media briefing on Tuesday.

He added that the murders and the violence were being investigated.

Cele said about 120 suspects had been arrested since Thursday for damaging property, looting and public violence.

The city said the strike had severely affected people commuting to work and at times left them stranded due to attacks on public transport services.

Santaco has distanced itself from the violence and said such acts were fuelled by protesters, not its members.