Doreen Mokgolo
A week ago, three men posing as passengers in his taxi stabbed Mzwakhe Msimango and drove away with him in the taxi.
His taxi was found a day later, abandoned at Kwa-Thema Hostel, but he hasn’t been seen since.
Mzwakhe is one of the ten local taxi drivers in Kwa-Thema, Tsakani and Duduza, Ekurhuleni who have been assaulted, hijacked and robbed in the last four weeks by people who pose as passengers.
Mzwakhe’s sister, Ntombi Msingo, said they have searched local hospitals and mortuaries in the area without any success.
“We fear that he might be lying dead somewhere because the witness in the taxi during the incident told the family that he was stabbed multiple times in his upper body,” she said.
The witness, who only spoke to Scrolla.Africa on condition of anonymity for her safety, said the first suspect jumped in the front passenger seat and the other one behind the driver and another next to her.
“A few minutes later the one behind the driver pulled out a knife and demanded money from him. He then stabbed the driver a number of times in his chest,” she explained.
The witness said she pleaded with the suspects not to kill him but they hurled insults at her.
“I could see that they were getting angry and decided to jump out of the moving taxi fearing for my life,” she said.
Tsakani police spokesperson Sergeant Harry Manaka confirmed that they have registered 10 cases of taxi drivers who were assaulted and hijacked in the last four weeks.
Some of the hijacked taxis were recovered in Mpumalanga.
“Over the weekend we recovered two taxis in Tsakani with the help of a tracking unit on one of the vehicles and arrested three suspects,” Manaka said.
They are calling on anyone who might have information about the whereabouts of missing Mzwakhe to come forward.
