From Dreams to Death: Family Mourns Slain E-Hailing Driver Far From Home
Viable News Team 
Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal – What began as a hopeful journey toward a better life ended in a tragedy too brutal to comprehend. For the family of 27-year-old Mthokozisi Mvelase, the pain of his violent death has been compounded by the difficulty in bringing his remains home to KwaZulu-Natal, where they hope to lay him to rest with dignity.
Mvelase, who had only recently moved to Johannesburg to work as an e-hailing driver, was gunned down outside Maponya Mall in Soweto last week in an attack believed to be linked to the ongoing tensions between e-hailing drivers and traditional taxi operators.
“He was too young to die like that,” said Doctor Khuzwayo, Mvelase’s uncle, as he spoke with eNCA. “To be shot and then burnt almost feels like you were murdered twice.”
A Young Life Cut Short
In the days leading up to the shooting, Mvelase was doing what so many young South Africans are forced to do—leave their hometowns and families behind in search of employment in the cities. Johannesburg, with its bustling economy and diverse job market, often offers the promise of opportunity. For Mvelase, the e-hailing industry presented a path forward.
But on that fateful day outside Maponya Mall, that path was violently cut short. Witnesses say Mvelase had just arrived at the mall’s entrance when four armed men approached his vehicle. They opened fire, killing him on the spot. Moments later, his car was set ablaze.
In the chaos, another e-hailing driver and a passerby were also shot and injured. The mall was forced to close for the day, casting a shadow of fear and grief over the community.
A Family in Mourning – and in Need
Back in Ulundi, Mvelase’s family is grappling not only with his loss but also with the harsh reality of logistical and financial hurdles that now stand between them and a proper burial.
“All we want is to have his body so that he can have a dignified funeral,” pleaded Khuzwayo. The family is currently struggling to afford the costs of transporting Mvelase’s remains home, along with the mounting funeral expenses.
Their plea for assistance has reached local and provincial authorities. KwaZulu-Natal government officials are expected to visit the family to offer support. However, with each passing day, the emotional toll deepens.
A Reflection of Broader Tensions
Mvelase’s death is not an isolated incident. It speaks to a wider problem plaguing South Africa’s transport sector—the volatile relationship between e-hailing services and traditional taxi associations.
E-hailing drivers have increasingly become targets in turf wars that have grown deadlier over the years. Many operate under fear, uncertain if their next ride will be their last. The industry, which once symbolized technological progress and economic inclusion, now exists in a state of siege in some areas.
While police investigations are ongoing, there is little faith among many that justice will be swiftly served. The climate of impunity surrounding such attacks has allowed the violence to persist, with families like the Mvelases left to pick up the pieces.
More Than a Statistic
For those who knew him, Mvelase was more than another tragic headline. Khuzwayo describes his nephew as a respectful, kind-hearted young man, full of dreams and a determination to provide for his family.
“He was full of life,” Khuzwayo said. “He was the kind of person who made you feel proud just by the way he carried himself.”
That life, full of promise, now echoes in silence through the halls of his family’s home in Ulundi.
A Call for Change
As the Mvelase family mourns, they also hope that his death will not be in vain. They want answers, justice, and most of all, change so that no other family has to endure what they are going through.
For now, their focus is singular: bringing Mthokozisi home.
“We are pleading with anyone who can help us,” Khuzwayo said. “He deserves to be laid to rest with dignity, surrounded by his family and ancestors.”
If you would like to help the Mvelase family or are aware of any support initiatives underway, please contact the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development or your local community outreach organization.
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