Two Uber drivers were brutally killed in Soweto, Gauteng—one burned alive in his car, the other shot while trying to flee.
Reports allege taxi drivers are targeting ride-hailing operators.
The attack has shocked South Africa, fueling fear among drivers and passengers across the country.
According to provincial police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, the suspects opened fire on the e-hailing driver after he stopped near Maponya Mall.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that “one person has been declared dead and two injured after e-hailing vehicles were attacked by unknown suspects at Maponya Mall this evening, 13 August 2025.”
She explained that “an e-hailing vehicle was seen stopping at the entrance” when “about four men approached the driver and shot at him before torching the vehicle.”
Nevhuhulwi added that “another vehicle, which was nearby, was shot at, and the driver managed to flee” but his car was also set alight.
“It was later discovered that the driver and another passer-by sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital,” she said.
A case of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and arson has been opened, with Nevhuhulwi noting that “the incident is suspected to be taxi violence related.”
Preliminary reports suggest long-standing tensions between taxi operators and e-hailing drivers lie at the heart of the deadly confrontation.
