The usually bustling Maponya Mall was eerily quiet this morning as hundreds of angry Pimville residents blocked access roads, barricaded taxi ranks, and vowed not to let the centre reopen until management commits to guaranteeing the safety of shoppers and transport operators.
The community’s stand comes less than 12 hours after a 35-year-old e-hailing driver, described by relatives as a “dedicated breadwinner and family man,” was gunned down and his vehicle set alight in what police suspect is the latest flare-up in Soweto’s deadly taxi-e-hailing turf war.
Residents began mobilising as early as 4am, dragging concrete slabs, rocks, and debris onto Chris Hani Road, cutting off the main route leading to the mall. Taxi operators were prevented from entering the premises, while private motorists and pedestrians were diverted by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD).
“This is not just about e-hailing drivers, this is about the safety of everyone who comes to this mall,” said community leader Mandla Ncube, addressing the crowd through a loudhailer. “We protected this place during the 2021 July unrest. Now we are treated like we don’t matter. Enough is enough.”
Ncube accused mall management of being “out of touch” with the community’s concerns and “dragging their feet” in dealing with the repeated attacks on e-hailing drivers at the mall’s entrances.
“We must stop being scared of being shot. If we stay quiet, our children and grandchildren will be next,” he said to loud cheers.
According to Gauteng police, the violence erupted just after 9pm on Wednesday, 13 August 2025, when four armed men ambushed an e-hailing driver waiting to pick up a customer at the main entrance. The suspects fired several shots before setting the vehicle ablaze.
A second e-hailing driver, parked nearby, was also attacked. He managed to escape but was wounded in the process. A passer-by was caught in the crossfire and is recovering in hospital.
Police have opened cases of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and arson.
“This was a clear act of targeted violence,” said SAPS Gauteng spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi. “We are investigating all leads and appealing for witnesses to come forward. We need to break this cycle of revenge attacks before more lives are lost.”
A source in the Gauteng Provincial Government confirmed that MEC for Roads and Transport Kedibone Diale-Tlabela met with mall management, taxi association representatives, and e-hailing platforms this morning in an urgent bid to restore calm.
“No grievance or commercial dispute justifies the taking of a life,” Diale-Tlabela said in a statement last night. “We urge all parties to engage in peaceful dialogue and for law enforcement to prioritise arrests.”
The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) said the ongoing violence is worsened by “regulatory uncertainty,” with many e-hailing operators still working without permits despite amendments to the National Land Transport Act being passed more than a year ago.
“This regulatory vacuum is compromising safety and fuelling conflict,” said national spokesperson Mmatshikhidi Rebecca Phala. “We need government to enforce the law before more lives are lost.”
SANTACO Gauteng condemned the violent incident at Maponya Mall and extended condolences to the victim’s family.
“We urge the public not to assume taxi industry involvement and to allow police investigations to proceed. We remain committed to peace and safety in transport,” said SANTACO.
By mid-morning, mall management had not issued a public statement — a silence that further inflamed protesters. Several residents said previous requests for improved security measures, such as CCTV coverage at pick-up points and the creation of designated e-hailing zones, have gone unanswered.
“We’ve been telling them for years that something like this would happen,” said Nomsa Khumalo, a shop owner inside the mall who closed her store in solidarity with the protesters. “How many funerals must we attend before they act?”
JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla confirmed that approximately 300 protesters had gathered peacefully, with SAPS, Gauteng Traffic, and JMPD officers deployed to maintain order.
“As a precaution, Chris Hani Road between Marula Street and Mokoena Street remains closed. We urge residents to avoid the area if possible,” Fihla said.
The killing is the latest in a series of violent clashes between taxi operators and e-hailing drivers in Soweto and across Gauteng. In June this year, two e-hailing drivers were shot outside the same mall, while in October 2024 a similar confrontation at Bara taxi rank left three people injured.
According to the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, more than 30 taxi-related murders have been recorded in the province in the past 12 months.
Protest leaders have issued three immediate demands to Maponya Mall management: permanent security patrols at all mall entrances and transport pick-up points. Designated e-hailing pick-up zones inside the mall, away from taxi ranks and a binding safety agreement between the mall, taxi associations, and e-hailing companies, monitored by the community.
Until these demands are met, protesters say they will keep the barricades in place.
“This mall makes millions from our pockets,” said Ncube. “If they can hire private security to protect shops from looters, they can hire the same to protect our lives.”
Meanwhile, the family of the slain driver — whose name is being withheld until all relatives are informed — is struggling to come to terms with the loss. His sister told journalists he was “the glue that held the family together” and had been working long hours to put his younger brother through college.
“He left home last night saying he would be back after his last trip. He never came back,” she said through tears.
