In a violent incident that has heightened tensions in the area, two e-hailing drivers were shot and assaulted in the KK section of KwaDabeka on Thursday afternoon. The attack is reportedly linked to ongoing harassment from minibus taxi operators.
KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department spokesperson, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, confirmed the details from the scene, stating that the provincial MEC for Transport, Mr. Duma, had dispatched a team to investigate the matter urgently after being notified of the incident hours earlier.
According to Sibiya’s account, gathered from the victims and the chairperson of the KZN E-Hailing Council, Sipho Mabika, the two drivers were waiting for clients near a restaurant when they were approached by a group of taxi operators. The drivers were instructed to leave the area before being physically assaulted and shot.
“The situation is a bit tense at the moment,” Sibiya stated. “They are complaining about being harassed. These are youngsters who are graduates, who are also fresh from high school, who are trying to make a living.”
One of the victims suffered facial injuries from the assault. Tragically, it was also revealed that the other driver is currently grieving the loss of his brother, who was also an e-hailing driver reported missing and presumed dead after an assault several months ago.
Sibiya emphasized that this is not an isolated event but part of a pattern of daily harassment faced by e-hailing drivers in the region. In response, MEC Duma has reiterated his commitment to intervening and ensuring peace and stability.
The MEC has assigned the department’s regulatory entity to work directly with the E-Hailing Council to prevent a repeat of the violence. This effort will be conducted in collaboration with the Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, reviving a partnership established last year to address tensions within the public transport system.
The incident has brought renewed focus to the urgent need for formal regulation in the e-hailing industry. Sibiya pointed to the recently amended National Land Transport Act, signed into law by the president last year, and stated that the department is awaiting the finalization of its regulations to help usher in a new era of transformed and efficient public transport.
Police at the KwaDabeka Police Station are investigating the shooting and assault. No further details on suspects or the ongoing investigation were immediately available.
