Cape Town - He wrestled with his attackers who were trying to rob him. In the ensuing scuffle, he managed to apprehend one of them and make a citizen’s arrest. But it was the reaction of the police that left Uber driver Lovemore Magumisa even more traumatised.
When Magumisa arrived with his attacker at the Maitland police station in the early hours of the morning, both bleeding, he was told to take himself and his attacker to a nearby hospital and return afterwards.
Magumisa, a Zimbabwean, said he had to sit with his attacker nearby, scared that the accomplice might return.
He said he was called to the Cape Town CBD to drive the two people to Maitland. The two instructed him to drive them to Extension 7 in Maitland. As he was dropping them off the two tried to rob him of his belongings.
“As I was driving a sharp object hit at the back and the other suspect took a knife and stabbed me in my finger. I stopped the car and fought back and one guy managed to escape. I then grabbed the other one and overpowered him. We fought for a while and I managed to get him in the car and hold on to him, while driving the car to the nearby police station.
'I could not believe what I was hearing'
“At the police station I was told to drive the suspect to a nearby hospital and come back to open a case. I could not believe what I was hearing but I took the suspect to the hospital, were we both stood in the same line and received medical attention.
"After being attended to by the doctor I phoned my brother who came to assist me and we took the suspect back to Maitland police station and he was arrested. I was advised to go to Woodstock Police Station to open a case.”
Jona Magumisa, brother of Lovemore, said the suspect wanted to bribe them and pleaded with them to forgive him. Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, said a case was opened at Woodstock Police Station.
“The complainant can open a case against the officer for the way he behaved. Under no circumstances can someone be turned away who wants to open a case."
Uber spokesperson Samantha Allenberg said the firm was “currently engaging the police ministry to assist the company in protecting” their drivers.