"Clone Him": SA Man Helps Female E-hailing Driver Feel Safe After Deaths of Kempton Park Women

• Phinius Sebatsane, a South African man living in Cape Town, shared how he made a Zimbabwean female driver feel more at ease during their trip
• His post came amid growing outrage over the deaths of women in Kempton Park, with reports of at least 7 women killed
• South Africans flooded his comments with praise, calling on more men to follow his example as many offered their own suggestions

A South African man's small act of awareness on a cold Cape Town morning sparked a much bigger conversation about gender-based violence and what men can do differently. Phinius Sebatsane shared the story on Instagram on 15 September 2026. He used an e-hailing app to book a ride and climbed into the car wearing a hoodie, having moved to Cape Town from Uganda. The driver, a woman from Zimbabwe, visibly tensed up when she saw him. He noticed immediately.

Without being asked, he took off the hoodie and struck up a conversation with her about her home country, unemployment, and the deaths of women in Kempton Park that had been dominating headlines. By the end of the ride, the discomfort had melted away.

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In his post, Sebatsane wrote:

"It's not fair that women need to live in fear in this country and treat everyone like a suspect. But they have to, because we, as men, have not given them enough reason to trust us."

Sebatsane's message went beyond the ride. He challenged men to resist the urge to respond defensively when women express fear or anger, writing that it was "not the time for 'Not all men.'" He urged them to change their behaviour in everyday spaces, whether that meant lowering their tone, crossing the street, or stepping aside in a lift.

He noted that at least seven women had been killed in Kempton Park, calling on South Africans to pray for the country and for men to hold each other accountable within their homes, friendships and communities. He wrote:

"We cannot keep asking women to change the way they live because of the way men behave. We need to change the way we behave."

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Mzansi praises SA man raising awareness

South Africans responded with overwhelming support in the comments on @phinius_sebatsane's post:

@anikadambuza said:

"Also as a man don't get into an elevator with a woman, let her take that one by herself ❤️ Thank you bhuti [brother]."

@bee_mabitse wrote:

"Respect to that my brother 🙌."

@themomdiariesza said:

"👏 Thank you for your service, good man!"

@tanyatownshend wrote:

"Thank you. So well expressed. How perceptive of you to pick up that the hoodie was making her feel anxious."

@bespokebody asked:

"Thank you for this. Can you please be cloned?! ❤️"

@a.colourful.world said:

"Support comes in so many ways and this? This is so needed. Siyabonga [Thank you]. 🙏🏽"

Other Briefly News stories about the Kempton Park murders

• Gender-based violence activist Anele Gqosana publicly addressed the horrific discovery of eight women's bodies in Ekurhuleni, calling for urgent systemic intervention.
• Investigative forensic psychologist Dr Gérard Labuschagne analysed the case, advising authorities to treat the incidents as serial killings until definitive evidence suggests otherwise.
• Members of the local running community gathered across Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and neighbouring regions for dedicated morning runs to pay tribute to Elizabeth Moselakgomo and raise awareness against gender-based violence.

Source: Briefly News