Maponya Mall in Soweto, Johannesburg, has been closed as protests erupt following the violent murder of an e-hailing driver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yesterday, 13 August, one e-hailing driver was shot dead, while two others were left injured outside Maponya Mall. The vehicles were also set alight by the criminals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taxi operators are allegedly responsible for the attack, with several other clashes between e-hailing drivers and taxis hitting the area in recent years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Residents in the area and workers have descended onto the mall in protest of the brazen violence hitting the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Protestors are demanding<\/a> that the mall be closed for several days for mourning and that the security company hired at the mall be shut down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Residents have accused the taxi industry of trying to monopolise transport in the area. Protestors are blocking the road to prevent taxis from operating in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite being the primary mode of transport for millions of South Africans, taxis are renowned for extreme violence towards competitors and have been accused of terrorism<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Protestors have also accused the mall ownership of sending security forces to the mall despite the protests remaining peaceful.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Workers in the mall said that the violence between e-hailing and taxi operators will have knock-on effects for the whole community, with jobs lost across several sectors as people avoid the area for safety concerns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Opened in 2007, the 65,000 sqm Maponya Mall cost R650 million to build. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The mall was owned by the late Dr Richard Maponya, one of the founders of African Bank, via the Maponya Group.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mall was developed in partnership with Investec and Zenprop Property Holdings. The mall is now owned by Redefine Properties in South Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the current protest, the community has incredibly strong ties with the mall and even protected it during one of South Africa’s darkest periods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n