Tensions boiled over in Soweto this morning as enraged residents blocked roads with rocks and debris outside Maponya Mall, following a deadly clash that left one e-hailing driver dead and two others injured in a violent, fiery attack last night.
Grief turned into protest as community members — including the victims’ families — gathered at the scene, some seen sweeping ashes from the charred remains of the torched vehicle. Their message was clear: “No business as usual.”
The area outside the mall, normally bustling with early shoppers and commuters, was instead filled with cries for justice and demands to close the mall until authorities address the escalating violence between e-hailing drivers and minibus taxi operators.
Witnesses described harrowing scenes from the previous night, where e-hailing drivers were allegedly ambushed and set alight, sparking renewed fears over the safety of ride-hailing workers in high-conflict zones like Soweto.
Police have been deployed to monitor the protest, but tensions remain high, with calls for urgent intervention from government and transport regulators. Many residents say the violence has gone unchecked for too long — and now, the community is taking a stand.
As Soweto grieves another senseless death, questions mount: How many more lives must be lost before the transport turf war is brought under control?
