Uber driver hijacked, assaulted
An Uber driver has been hijacked and assaulted in Pretoria this afternoon.
Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo says the Uber driver was later thrown out of his vehicle in Hatfield.
"We can confirm an Uber driver was hijacked in Sunnyside, allegedly by a group of men. They drove with him and then threw him out of the vehicle in Hatfield. He had been assaulted," Masondo confirms.
Police suspect the hijacking could be linked to the ongoing battle between Uber and meter taxi drivers.
The car was later found abandoned in Hatfield after it was set alight.
The driver was taken to the nearest police station by a group of people who had come to his aid.
Any situation where safety is put at risk is absolutely unacceptable to us. One instance is one too many. [1/2]
— Uber South Africa (@Uber_RSA) July 4, 2017
We are engaging with the authorities and policy makers on this as a matter of urgency. [2/2]
— Uber South Africa (@Uber_RSA) July 4, 2017