[imagesource: Instagram/_cheralleroux]

A woman in Cape Town just survived a harrowing Uber trip, which she says felt like an attempted kidnapping.

On the evening of 14 November 2024, around 9:40PM, Cheral Le Roux, a 27-year-old woman working in the Mother City, requested an Uber – a white Suzuki with registration number CY77957 – from Vredehoek to Green Point.

While in the Uber that night, the driver’s route took her toward the intersection near the Castle of Good Hope and the Taxi Station in Cape Town CBD. When they stopped at a red traffic light, the driver didn’t seem to make any attempt to move when the light turned green.

Before Cheral could process what was happening, she says three men forced their way into the vehicle. They allegedly brutally attacked her, holding her at knifepoint while attempting to rape her, she said via Women For Change. The Uber driver is claimed to have sat disturbingly silent, making no effort to intervene – which made Cheral think he was in cahoots with the criminals doing their business in the car.

Against all odds, Cheral fought back with ferocity, her every move driven by the sheer will to survive. With grit and determination, she broke free from the clutches of danger. But the battle left its mark—her injuries demanded immediate hospital care and trauma counselling.

Her phone, ID, and car keys were stolen that night. In her statement to the police, she also said her necklace was taken by a separate man who accosted her as she was running after the initial three criminals.

The Uber driver’s name on the app appeared as “Rajubu” (with no profile picture), but his passport identified him as Thomas Kitegama, she told us via email.

“When I entered the vehicle, he was initially very quiet. However, during the attack, he unlocked the car, enabling the attackers to enter, and made no attempt to intervene or drive away.”

“After the ordeal, I pleaded, screamed, and begged him to take me to my original destination, and he eventually agreed,” at which point she was able to hustle his personal information.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Darren Campher (@darrencampher.com_)

In the wake of the brutal attack, a case was opened at the nearest police station, and the incident was reported to Uber. The company initially reached out to Cheral, but since then, she has been met with nothing but silence and a complete lack of meaningful support. Uber’s lack of response has been nothing short of deafening.

Even more disturbing, SAPS has confirmed that this attack is far from an isolated incident—similar cases have been reported, revealing a chilling pattern.

Commenting on Cheral’s post on Instagram, another victim of a harrowing Uber experience, Nikita Van Der Westhuizen, added her support and shared her terrible story. Nikita was the 28-year-old woman who sustained injuries when her Uber driver tried to rob and kidnap her on a trip home.

“My uber driver kidnapped me and tried to kill me at gunpoint 6 months ago. Strongs girl. Let me know if you wanna gather more of these incidents and we take uber down and make them pay,” she commented on Cheral’s Women For Change post.

Another Cape Town woman responding to this ordeal shared that something similar happened to her friend in the exact location:

Image: Instagram / speks_en_boentjies

Image: Instagram / speks_en_boentjies

As Women For Change points out, even as Uber markets its new “Teen Function” it fails to take accountability for its inadequate vetting process.

“Once again, the driver’s details did not match the person registered on Uber.”

The escalating violence against women in e-hailing services is rapidly becoming an uncontainable crisis.

This latest assault is a stark reminder that the safety of women can no longer be assumed, nor should it be overlooked.

[source:womenforchange]