E-hailing scare in Alexandra triggers missing girl alert
Concern grew for Mbali Ncaku after she sent a worrying message to her friend on June 18 about an e-hailing ride she requested from Bramley to Pretoria, and then became unreachable.
This prompted social posts suggesting that she was missing. However, she has clarified the matter, noting that she realised later that she was panicking when she sent the message. In the message, she told her friend to call the police if she did not make it to Tshwane University of Technology Soshanguve South campus in about an hour and thirty minutes. But the friend called Ncaku's mother right away.
Read more: What to do if a family member is kidnapped, especially a child
'I got scared when he asked me to cancel the ride, and when he said he was taking a different route because he was trying to avoid the police, I panicked. I think my friend also panicked, that is why she called my mother immediately. But I got to the campus safe and on time for her exam,' she explained, adding that now when she thinks about it, she was not in danger and it was just a misunderstanding.
Tumisho Sekhukhune, the e-hailing driver, acknowledged that the incident was unfortunate. 'My mistake was asking her to cancel the ride. We were just having a casual conversation, maybe that is why I did not realise she was scared or anything. She told me her exam was about an hour and thirty minutes long. I even asked if she was going to come back to Bramley because I would have waited to give her a ride back.'
Also read: 16-year-old girl arrested after man is kidnapped and assaulted
Sekhukhune said he did not take a different direction because he was trying to avoid the police, he was only using an alternative route displayed on his GPS.
Asked why he told Ncaku to cancel the ride, he explained that he did not force her, he was just asking because he was trying to avoid their e-hailing platform from taking a portion of the trip fare.
'I am not the only person who cancels the trips. Drivers know that prices on our e-hailing platform are more beneficial to the customers than drivers. For instance, it would charge a customer R80 for a long drive and still deduct a certain amount from that R80, it affects us,' he exclaimed.
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Related article: Child kidnapping prevention tips for all ages
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