Thamsanqa Gumede, a 22-year-old e-hailing driver, was killed two weeks ago in KwaDabeka, KwaZulu-Natal, and his family wants police to put more effort into fighting criminals in the industry.

Gumede allegedly received a pick-up request before he went missing. His body was discovered showing clear signs of physical trauma on Wednesday, 28 May 2025.

His body had been dumped in Umngeni.

Speaking to SABC News, his brother Senzo Gumede explained that many dangers exist in the e-hailing industry, and he identified the Bolt platform as being particularly unsafe.

He said drivers in the space often hear of people getting lost or murdered through e-hailing.

“I think having an association to monitor these e-hailing services would really help, as such incidents are less familiar with taxis, where everyone knows the route of the taxi, where it’s coming from, as well as where it’s going,” he said.

According to Sipho Mabika, chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal E-hailing Council, people frequently hand over their verified profiles to individuals who may not have met the registration requirements.

“The problem is that it is so easy to enter the e-hailing industry,” he said.

“Anyone can enter because they see money, so you’ll find people buy cars for their sons, and they register them on e-hailing apps because of the high unemployment rate.”

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He added that some owners rent profiles to unverified users, opening the door to criminality.

“You think you’re going to pick up the passenger, but you’re going to pick up a criminal who could kill you,” Mabika said in a separate interview with SABC News.

“That’s what happened to this boy because we found the car, and it was full of blood.”

In the case of Gumede’s kidnapping and death, his car was found completely stripped, and his phone wasn’t found.

However, he warned that passengers themselves must also be vigilant when getting into ride-hailing vehicles.

“I think the passengers, when they request the car, need to check the number plate before they jump in the car,” said Mabika.

“If the number plate is correct, they have to look to see whether the driver they have is the same driver they see on the app.”

However, the latter isn’t always possible.

A harrowing experience in Joburg

In November 2022, a TechBrunch reader alerted us to a distressing experience they had using a ride-hailing service in Johannesburg North.

They became convinced their driver was not the same person displayed on the app.

They explained that they were immediately concerned for their safety after spotting a learner’s stick on the rear window of the Volkswagen Polo Vivo that had arrived to pick them up.

The driver denied being a learner but avoided showing their face or making eye contact. They were also wearing a jacket with a hood, making it difficult to confirm their identity.

What followed was a harrowing experience with reckless Uber driver behavior.

They failed to stop or even slow down at intersections with traffic lights out due to load-shedding and swerved between lanes without indicating, all while revving the engine to the red line.

According to the reader, the driver never made it past third gear, even while traveling at over 80 km/h.

They said they would not be surprised if the driver were unlicensed and possibly even underage.

Concerned for their safety, they asked the driver to pull over at the nearest petrol station and got out, while still a considerable distance from their destination.

After lodging a complaint, the service quickly refunded the rider and assured them it would never pair them with the driver again.

At the time, TechBrunch asked Uber and Bolt about their policies regarding e-hailing drivers sharing profiles.

Uber said it had a zero-tolerance policy toward account sharing, adding that it contravenes the service’s community guidelines and undermines public trust in the service.

“Going against our Community Guidelines can result in a driver or rider losing access to the Uber platform,” it said.

Uber requires drivers to complete a strict account activation process before using the app. This includes:

• Background checks using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
• Uber and Bolt drivers must supply their professional driver’s permit, ID, double discs, proof of commercial insurance, and roadworthy certificate when applying to work for the service.
• Drivers must pass a third-party driving evaluation test to confirm that they drive in accordance with South Africa’s road regulations.

Bolt told MyBroadband that drivers caught sharing or renting accounts get permanently banned from the platform.

“Renting a profile to someone or from someone constitutes an act of fraud, and Bolt will not hesitate to lay charges of fraud with the South African Police Service,” it said.

“Bolt prohibits drivers from authorizing any other person to use their Bolt Driver Account in any way whatsoever, including renting profiles to any other person at all.”

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