Chera-lee le Roux, a 27-year-old from Cape Town, said that on Thursday, November 14, she was picked up by an Uber driver to travel to Greenpoint.

During the ride, she claimed she was attacked by four men who robbed her and tried to rape her, while the Uber driver did nothing to help.

Uber South Africa told IOL that passenger and driver safety is very important to them.

They said, “We are deeply concerned about the incident and are actively investigating the matter. We are working closely with the relevant authorities to provide any necessary assistance and will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action as needed.”

Uber also stated that all drivers must pass strict checks and meet safety standards before being allowed to offer rides.

The case has caused a strong reaction on social media. Many people criticized Uber SA for not doing enough to protect female passengers.

Candice Chirwa shared her frustration on X (Twitter), writing, “I’m tired of being told to be more vigilant as a woman living in South Africa. I’m tired of being told to carry a weapon and check my surroundings. We can’t run, we can’t walk, we can’t take Ubers by ourselves. It’s terrifying.”

Phumzile Van Damme also expressed her anger, calling the situation outrageous. She wrote: “SAPS indicates that this is not the first time a woman has almost been kidnapped and your drivers sat silently and did not intervene. Is this a human trafficking ring that some of your drivers may be involved [in]? Why have you not communicated about this to explain what are you doing about it? Have these drivers been fired? Have you reported the drivers to SAPS? Have you conducted an internal investigation? What have you done except keep quiet hoping this will go away while women get into your cars not knowing that they could be victims of rape or kidnapping? This is beyond sick.”

Le Roux said the experience left her deeply traumatized. “Recovery from an event like this will take years of therapy, the amount would be immense, and even then, me and the other victims may never truly psychologically recover from this.”