The National E-hailing Federation of South Africa (NEFSA) has called on the government to form a task team to investigate attacks on e-hailing drivers. This follows the killing of a 22-year-old Nigerian driver in Pretoria West last week, with four suspects now in custody. The federation highlights that such crimes have persisted since 2015.
The National E-hailing Federation of South Africa (NEFSA) is pressing the government to establish a dedicated task team to tackle ongoing crimes targeting e-hailing drivers. This demand arises from the recent murder of a 22-year-old Nigerian national working as a driver in Pretoria West.
Last week, the driver picked up a man and a woman, after which he was overpowered inside his vehicle. The suspects hijacked the car, and both the vehicle and the driver's body were later discovered in Atteridgeville. Four individuals are currently in police custody and have appeared in court in connection with the incident.
NEFSA spokesperson Tella Masakale emphasized the long-standing nature of these attacks. “This incident is not the first, and we hope it is the last – hence, we, as the operators and drivers of the National E-Hailing Federation of South Africa, are tired and are urging the government to step up and formulate an e-hailing task team dedicated to dealing with e-hailing criminality. This has been starting since 2015, we’re now 10 years later and we’re still experiencing the same horrible acts of crime,” Masakale stated.
The federation notes that safety concerns in the e-hailing sector have been under scrutiny for over a decade, with similar violent incidents reported repeatedly since 2015. No further details on the suspects or the investigation were provided in the available information.