Manhunt for Bolt driver accused of stabbing two women

Bolt has blocked one of their drivers from the e-hailing platform while they investigate allegations he stabbed two women in Table View, Cape Town, at the weekend.

This is according to Bolt's PR manager Sandra Buyole, who told Sowetan that they were "deeply disturbed" by the incident, which occurred on Saturday. 

Pictures posted on social media show one of the women lying on the ground with her pants covered in blood. Another one shows a woman dressed in black, with a gaping stab wound on her back. In the post, the woman said the driver stabbed them after he refused to drop them off at their destination. 

Sowetan reached out to one of the injured women, who said she was not yet ready to talk about the incident as she was still recuperating.

Buyole said what happened to the women was "completely unacceptable".

"Upon learning of the incident, we immediately took action to block the driver from the platform while a thorough investigation is conducted. The safety and well-being of our riders are our top priorities, and we do not tolerate any behaviour that compromises their safety or security.

"Bolt always has, and always will, condemn every instance of violence, no matter where or when it takes place, as it betrays everyone’s hope of a safe, secure South Africa where everyone can move around freely, no matter their location or the time of day or night.

"We take the safety of passengers and drivers who use the platform very seriously and have zero-tolerance for any violence that happens during or around a ride made possible by our platform."

Buyole said Bolt will cooperate fully with police investigation and will also provide information that may lead to an arrest.

Sabrina Walter, chairperson for Women for Change, a non-profit organisation, said she was shocked by the incident and that it was not isolated.

Walter, who said she was in contact with one of the victims, said this was yet another brutal attack that highlighted the urgent need for action to ensure the safety of women using e-hailing services. 

In 2022, a Bolt driver was arrested for rapes, three of which occurred after women requested a ride on the e-hailing platform.

According to TimesLive, it emerged in court at the time that Emmanuel Mudau joined Bolt as a driver in January 2022 and the first rape occurred eight days after he started. The second and third happened weeks apart.

One of his victims said Mudau had given her something to drink and applied a "red vaseline-like" substance on himself before raping her. The driver has since been sentenced to life behind bars.  

Walter said e-hailing companies should prioritise the safety of their passengers and provide training on preventing and responding to violence.  

"It is a reminder of the pervasive threat of gender-based violence that our women face every single day in this country. Women should never fear for their safety when simply trying to get from one place to another," she said.

Walter said her organisation demanded immediate and meaningful action from Bolt and other e-hailing companies to address all passengers' safety and well-being.

Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that the victims opened a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on Tuesday afternoon.

According to reports, Van Wyk said a group of friends arranged for a Bolt driver to pick them up in Monte Vista to be taken to DuNoon (Milnerton).

"The driver wanted to drop them off at a fuel station near the entrance to DuNoon, as he said it was unsafe for him to go into DuNoon. When he asked for payment, the application did not accept the payment and the driver was asked to take them to an ATM.

The payment was made and when the victims asked for change, the driver drove to Table View SAPS. He was told to take the clients to the address they had asked to be dropped. The driver left the station with all the passengers but did not take them to DuNoon," said Van Wyk.

He said an argument ensued which resulted in two of the passengers aged 21 and 20 being stabbed. No one has been arrested yet and police are investigating the matter

chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za