Off Duty Cop Driving an Unmarked Toyota Allegedly Attacked After Being Mistaken for eHailing Driver in PTA

• A South African Police Service officer was attacked by protesting e-hailing drivers after he was seen driving an unmarked Toyota Corolla
• The attack took place in Pretoria on Tuesday, 22 March and the officer says the attack was violent, they took his gun from him
• The men who are said to have been responsible for the attack were handed over to the police by members of the Private Public Transport Association

TSHWANE - A member of the South African Police Service who was off-duty was unfortunately attacked on Tuesday, 22 March after he was allegedly mistaken for an e-hailing driver during a protest on Tshwane.

The officer was assaulted because he was seen driving an unmarked Toyota Corolla, a car that is usually used by e-hailing drivers. The officer was also not in his police uniform when the assault took place.

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E-hailing drivers across the country embarked on a three-day protest against their partner app companies stating that they are being treated unfairly. The drivers also want the government to regulate their industry and handed over their demands at the Union Buildings, reports EWN.

The officer, who did not want to be named stated that his car window was smashed into with a beer bottle. He explained to severely reporters on the scene that he was handled violently by protestors and when he tried to defend himself, his gun was taken, according to TimesLIVE. The protestors are said to have also fired the cop's gun.

"They immediately opened the door and took the car keys, took the gun and disarmed me,” said the police officer.

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Vhatuka Mbelengwa, the Founder of Private Public Transport Association (PPTA) says the men responsible for the attack on the police officer were quickly found and handed over to the police by members of the association.

“We as leaders intervened, recovered the firearm and handed the individuals involved over to law enforcement," said Mbelengwa.

Mbelengwa says they still going to confirm whether the men responsible are actually e-hailing drivers or just opportunistic criminals who took advantage because there was a mass action protest.

He added that drivers who are taking part in the protest should do so peacefully.

Woman hires eHailing driver to pick up brother from school, he shows up with the wrong child

In other news, Briefly News previously reported that South African social media user, Asanda Sibiya (@Asandaaa_Sibiya), took to Twitter to share how she got the shock of her life when an e-hailing driver she had requested to pick up her brother arrived with the wrong child.

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Asanda shared that she often requests a car to pick up her younger brother from school when she or her mother are not available to do so.

“Guys I requested an Uber to pick my brother up from school the Uber driver came home with the wrong Ayabonga!!!! I mean sgaxa.

“So this is what happened I requested the Uber as per usual when my mom is busy working and can’t pick him up. So I gave the driver details when he gets to school he finds “Ayabonga” and then calls me, mind you I even spoke to the teacher confirming that I requested,” she said in the tweets.

Source: Briefly News