In the shadowy streets of Rylands, Athlone, an e-hailing driver’s night took a terrifying turn when he was ambushed and shot by four gunmen, leaving him fighting for his life.
This brutal attack, which unfolded on Saturday evening in Jeina Road, has once again thrust the dangers faced by ride-share workers into the spotlight, amid a worrying surge in similar incidents across South Africa.
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The victim, a man in his 30s, was driving his white Toyota Aygo when the assailants struck around 10.45pm on 21 February 2026.
According to police reports, the gunmen shot him in the face and chest before fleeing with his vehicle.
He is now in a critical condition in hospital, battling injuries that highlight the deadly risks of this line of work.
This incident is not isolated; it forms part of a broader pattern of violence targeting e-hailing drivers, who often operate in high-risk areas late at night.
Siyabonga Hlabisa, chairperson of the Western Cape E-hailing Association (WCEA), has voiced the growing frustration among drivers.
“It is a serious challenge as we are being informed that drivers are being killed and attacked, and we are being let down by the SAPS, as not many arrests are being made,” he said.
Hlabisa pointed out that e-hailing drivers are seen as easy targets for criminals, with stolen phones and vehicles quickly sold in local communities.
He emphasised the need for better safety measures, advocating for dash cameras as a crucial tool.
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“The most important system to use is a dash camera, as we have seen the incident that happened in Pretoria was caught on a dash camera,” he noted, referring to the recent murder of Nigerian national Isaac Satlat in Pretoria less than two weeks ago.
