Relatives of a slain Taxify driver have spoken out about what they believed happened the night he was killed in Pretoria.
Family representative Melusi Mbonambi said they suspected the young man was burned alive in his car.
The post-mortem results were still being awaited.
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Siyabonga Ngcobo (21) was found dead in the boot of his torched vehicle on Friday night, said police spokesperson Captain Daniel Mavimbela.
He said Ngcobo was attacked by a group of men while picking up a customer from a church service in Arcadia.
“The information we got is that, when he arrived at the location, three men jumped in the car and forced him into the boot and drove away.”
Mbonambi said the car stopped minutes later and was then set alight.
“The car was set on fire with my nephew trapped inside.”
Mbonambi said the family was having a hard time dealing with the loss.
“His mother is falling apart.”
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He said police were not helpful.
“Funeral arrangements have been put on hold because the police are still keeping the body for a post-mortem.
We do not know when they will release it, so the arrangements remain on hold.”
Mbonambi said it was even sadder that the family had to get the news of Ngcobo’s death from the media.
“I do not know how the police do their job, but I imagine they should have informed us first before they told journalists.”
Ngcobo was a fourth-year student at the Tshwane Unversity of Technology and had only been driving the Taxify taxi “for just a week before his life was taken”.
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His death is believed to be linked to ongoing turf wars between Uber, Taxify and metered taxis.
#JusticeforSiyabonga has been trending with social media users calling for metered taxis to be boycotted.
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