Johannesburg – The drivers of e-hailing vehicles in Durban, who are under siege, believe taxi warlords are responsible for the spate of killings targeting Uber and Bolt drivers.
Since January, 11 drivers have been killed in Durban and surrounding townships and the modus operandi is the same.
The victims are hijacked at gunpoint and then taken to a secluded area to be killed.
“We have reasons to believe that the taxi industry hitmen are targeting us to instill fear. Last year, we lost about eight guys who were brutally killed, three of them were found dumped in a public park in Inanda,” said Nonkosi Xaba, speaking of behalf of KwaZulu-Natal Cab Drivers Association.
“These are breadwinners who are trying all they can to ensure that they put food on the table for their families under this diffi – cult economic climate.”
So severe is the situation that distraught drivers have written to the KwaZulu-Natal acting police commissioner, Major-General Thulani Gonya, demanding that a police task team be established to investigate the murders.
“There is consensus among our colleagues in the business that we are let down by the police. We know that there are members of the police who are also taxi operators, so we feel they are reluctant to thoroughly investigate the killings. We want the task team to make arrests so that the families of the deceased can begin to have closure.”
Last month, 30-year-old Ntuthuko Goba’s lifeless body was found with multiple gunshot wounds. He had been severely assaulted before being sprayed with bullets.
His body was dumped in the yard of a deserted house in Isiphingo, south of Durban. According to Xaba, Goba was responding to a client in Umlazi township, who had requested a ride. Before that, Zamokuhle Shongwe – another Uber driver – was also abducted by assailants masquerading as e-hailing clients seeking a ride. Shongwe did not reach his intended destination.
He was abducted by the three occupants in the vehicle, shot dead and his body dumped in Umgeni River. Sihle Mkhwanazi, another driver, survived the ordeal aft er being hijacked by the syndicate.
“They spoke in isiZulu and said, ‘nisidlela umsebenzi nina’ [you’re interfering with our work] and shot me twice. They only took the money I had made for the day and my cellphone. I suspect they thought I was dead. They did not take the vehicle,” said Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi was able to crawl to the highway and called for assistance. Inanda, Umlazi, KwaMashu and Lindelani are said to be the high-risk areas for e-hailing drivers. Sfi so Shangase, the spokesperson for the South African National Taxi Council in Kwa- Zulu-Natal, denied that the taxi industry is responsible for the killings, saying the government is to blame for the fracas.
“These people are unregulated and they do not have permits to operate. They charge small rates and are unfairly competing with the taxi industry. The government must come to the party to stop the hostility,” said Shangase.
Provincial police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said the murder of e-hailing drivers is receiving attention.
“In some of the incidents, police have made the arrests, it’s only the courts that can successfully prosecute those who have been arrested,” she said.
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