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In a tragic twist that underscores the dangers lurking in everyday gigs, 20-year-old Tsireledzo Wanga Mphaphuli—a bright law student just starting out—was brutally robbed and stabbed to death by passengers during what was supposed to be a one-off favor driving for Bolt.
It was his first time behind the wheel for the ride-hailing service, and sadly, his last. Mphaphuli, who had only earned his driver’s license last year after matriculating, wasn’t even a regular driver. “He is not a Bolt driver. He was just helping for the day, and it was his first time driving Bolt,” his aunt Lucky Mulaudzi told me, her voice heavy with grief. “It would have been more understandable if he died in a car accident, but instead he was stabbed on this day.”
The nightmare unfolded last Friday in Pretoria. Mphaphuli, living in Pretoria East and pursuing his first year of BCom Law at Varsity College, hopped into his VW Polo to pick up riders requesting a trip from Garsfontein to Eersterust. But upon reaching their destination, the passengers turned violent, robbing him of his belongings before stabbing him in the upper body, according to police spokesperson Sgt Sam Shibambo.
Somehow, in a remarkable show of resilience, Mphaphuli managed to keep driving until he reached Georgehood Street. There, shocked community members spotted him in distress and sprang into action, calling the police. “When the police arrived, the victim narrated his ordeal, and an ambulance was called,” Shibambo explained.
Mulaudzi, who had raised her nephew like her own, got the frantic call and raced from her home in Pretoria West to Wilgers Hospital in the east. She arrived full of hope, only to be shattered about 20 minutes later when doctors broke the news: Tsireledzo had succumbed to his wounds. “He was still in the emergency room when I got there. I was just so confused at the time,” she recalled. “Then the doctor told us after arriving that he is no more.”
Described by his aunt as “a very bubbly, kind and unique young man who liked people and talking,” Mphaphuli was the first child of his mother—and her only son. The loss has hit the family hard. “She is taking this very hard. We cried so much the past week,” Mulaudzi said of her sister. “She was a bit better yesterday and finally managed to speak. We are even tired now from the crying. We are saving our energy for the funeral this Saturday in Venda.”
On Tuesday, a heartfelt memorial service in Westpark drew a large crowd, including the very residents who had come to Mphaphuli’s aid that fateful day, along with the local ward councillor. “The memorial went well and was well-attended,” Mulaudzi said. “It gave us some relief to get support from people out there. We want the killers to be found and justice to be served.”
This incident echoes broader concerns about safety in the e-hailing industry. Just a few years back, South Africans flooded social media with a “registry” of drivers to avoid, aimed at protecting female passengers from harassment or worse. But here, the roles were reversed, highlighting how drivers, too, face life-threatening risks.
As of now, no arrests have been made, but Shibambo assured that investigations are pressing forward, with a manhunt underway for the perpetrators. For Mphaphuli’s family, the wait for justice is agonizing, but they hold onto memories of a young man full of promise, cut down far too soon.
