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Sunninghill - A couple's evening out turned into a nightmare when they were allegedly attacked while taking what they believe was an Uber taxi home in Sunninghill, Johannesburg.
While Uber has indicated that it is investigating the incident, police have since said it was not an Uber taxi but a metered taxi that was involved.
However, a friend of one of the victims who provided details of the alleged incident said they had in fact made use of the Uber app.
The couple left the Movida nightclub in Sunninghill in the early hours of Monday morning and allegedly requested an Uber vehicle to pick them up at the venue.
They made use of the Uber app and paid attention to the details, including the type of vehicle and driver, as provided by the app.
"Shortly after departing, two men hiding in the boot pushed the back seats forward and got into the front of the car and stabbed my friend numerous times and bundled his girlfriend into the boot, eventually pulling my friend into the boot ... all while the car was moving on the highway passing the William Nicol [Drive] off-ramp," the man told News24 via email.
They have asked for none of their names to be revealed while the investigation is ongoing.
No word to families from Uber
The couple were allegedly forced to withdraw money from an ATM in Tembisa before their hands were tied with cable ties and they were blindfolded.
They were taken to a house in Tembisa where they were kept overnight before managing to alert a neighbour the following morning.
According to a phone interview with 702, the father of one of the victims said they have not yet had any communication from Uber relating to the incident despite Uber claiming in a statement that they were in constant communication with the families and are investigating.
In its statement, Uber said the reported incident was "despicable" and its thoughts were with the victims and their families.
"We are in contact with the families and have offered our full support. We are assisting law enforcement in their investigation and will continue to provide them with information to support their efforts to bring whoever is responsible to justice. We are assisting the police in an ongoing criminal investigation so cannot say more at this stage."
Gauteng spokesperson for the South African Police Service Lieutenant Lungelo Dlamini confirmed that they are investigating the matter, but said it was not an Uber taxi.
"We are investigating it, but it wasn't an Uber taxi. It was a metered taxi," Dlamini said.
