Users of the Shesha e-hailing app have complained that they are being coerced and threatened to download the app and forced to pay fines if they refuse.
Shesha is the newest entrant in the e-hailing sphere, launched in May 2024 in partnership with the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in a bid to take on big players such as Uber and Bolt.
The app offers several benefits over its more established competitors, such as fixed pricing, digital-only payments, and an “Emergency Ride” feature that allows users with over 10 trips to their name to request a ride of less than 5km and pay for it at a later date.
Shesha spokesperson Nomsa Mdhuli also said that the app has put an emphasis on safety, implementing measures like background checks on all drivers, comprehensive vehicle inspections, and user verification through the Department of Home Affairs.
However, two months after the launch of Shesha, the app has already encountered several controversies, forcing Santaco to investigate user complaints.
A troubled rollout
Shesha is currently only available in Gauteng, where several individuals especially around the Thembisa area have alleged that they are being intimidated into downloading the app by individuals posing as Santaco members.
Users of e-hailing apps other than Shesha claim that gangs of people move around in Santaco vehicles and conduct illegal roadblocks targeting e-hailing vehicles.
They allegedly ask passengers and drivers to show that they have the Shesha app on their phones and, if they do not, they are issued a “negotiable spot fine” of up to R3,500.
If drivers are not willing, or unable, to pay this “fine” and refuse to download Shesha, their vehicles are illegally “impounded” by the alleged Santaco members, and the lawful owners must then jump through several arbitrary hoops to get their cars back.
In other cases, riders, who are often international travellers with little knowledge of local customs, have been forced out of the e-hailing vehicles and told to find an alternative method of transport.
The video below, posted to X (previously Twitter) by user @EricRachoene, allegedly depicts an illegal roadblock performed by Santaco members in an attempt to get e-hailing drivers to activate new profiles on Shesha.
@MkhulekoHlengwa @BarbaraCreecy_ this people are stealing and committing crime using Shesha name,no one will ever use your service unless you change how you market it..the community people you terrorizing are the same people you need for your app to prosper. pic.twitter.com/g6P6FZwlRk
— Black chain (@EricRachoene) July 19, 2024
Responding to these complaints, Santaco Gauteng Chairperson Midday Mali said the association is aware of the issues and actively working with Shesha to determine who is behind these cases of what can only be described as extortion.
“If those members are members of Santaco, we have [initiated] an investigation to identify to which association they belong to,” Mali told 702.
He explains that just in the Gauteng province alone there are five Santaco associations.
If investigations reveal that any members have been coercing people into downloading Shesha they will be reported to their respective associations who have their own “internal processes” to handle these situations.
Mali said Santaco would never dispatch its people to do these unlawful things.
“It is not how we are supposed to be working,” he said.
Shesha has also put out a statement denouncing the acts of intimidation and extortion.
“At Shesha, we strongly believe in fair and lawful competition. The recent acts of intimidation carried out in our name are deeply concerning and completely unacceptable,” said the company.
“We are committed to identifying those responsible and working closely with law enforcement to ensure these activities cease immediately. Our primary goal is to empower our drivers, ensure the safety of our riders, and contribute positively to the South African economy.”
Shesha urges anyone who witnesses or falls victim to these criminals to report them directly to the police.
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