Zimbabwean Uber Eats delivery riders working in South Africa have formed an Anti-Hijacking Group in response to a worrying increase in armed robberies targeting their motorbikes.
The riders allege that incidents of armed robbery have sharply risen, with some resulting in loss of life. The stolen bikes are then reportedly being brought back to Zimbabwe for resale.
Thubelihle Sigola, the founder of the group, told CITE reporter Tanaka Mrewa that their investigations have uncovered a concerning pattern linking the crimes to individuals from the Kezi area.
Sigola said that the two victims who were killed in the robberies also originated from the same region.
The criminal activities initially began in the Florida and Randfontein areas but have since become more prevalent in Soweto.
Going forward, the group plans to engage the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Matabeleland South Province, in the hopes of taking action against those in possession of the undocumented, stolen motorbikes. He said:
We have been dealing with these cases for the past three years, and they keep increasing. In the last two years, two deaths have been recorded due to these hijackings, and if this matter is not addressed, there will be more.
We traced one suspect who confirmed he was from Kezi and pointed us towards an alleged kingpin also from the area. We located the individual, but unfortunately, the police later released him.
We hope to work effectively with the police. We are gathering information and will soon head to Kezi to present our findings to the authorities, giving them a starting point for their investigations.
Sigola urged the public to assist by reporting any motorbikes they suspect might be stolen or lack proper documentation.
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