Formal Complaint Regarding Incident on 25 November 2025

I would like to formally share my experience regarding an incident that occurred on 25 November 2025.

I am a single mother doing everything within my ability to support my children and help them succeed. I work until 17:30 each day, and on the evening in question, I had to collect my child and drop him off at the bus stop in Uitenhage, although we reside in Despatch. My child arrived early at the bus stop, and there is also footage available from the fuel station where he was waiting to board the bus.

After dropping him off, I drove around the corner to the OK Supermarket to buy him something to drink for the trip. He stood at the stop with his ticket, waiting for the bus. At 18:36, he informed me that the bus had arrived. He asked the bus driver politely to wait a moment as I was just around the corner. The driver refused to wait. At 18:44, my child informed me that the bus had left without him.

We pursued the bus all the way to approximately 110 km before Jansenville. Despite me driving next to and even in front of the bus—clearly visible and posing no danger—the driver refused to stop. At that point, I told my son that we could not continue putting our lives at risk. My petrol light had come on, and my phone battery was at 6%. It was also getting dark, and no one would have known where we were.

I paid R865.00 (eight hundred and sixty-five rand) for his bus ticket. I feel that we were treated with discriminatory behaviour, especially after calling the call centre, where people laughed in the background. They took down my contact number, yet I am still waiting for a return call.

I was extremely distressed and could only think clearly today in order to reach out to you. I then had to borrow R1,052.00 (one thousand and fifty-two rand) from a colleague so that my child could fly, as he was unable to take the bus. He also had to get an Uber costing R520.00 (five hundred and twenty rand), a service he had never used before. You can imagine the stress he experienced—he had never flown nor used an Uber in his life.

What makes this situation even more traumatic is that my child was hijacked approximately six months ago and held at gunpoint. He is still recovering from that incident, and now he had to experience all these additional stressors—missing a bus, being stranded, having to fly for the first time, and using an Uber in an unsafe area. You can imagine the emotional strain this placed on him.

The Uber driver even told him that the area was so dangerous that people had previously climbed into his vehicle with firearms. This intensified his fear, considering his past traumatic experience.

I humbly request reimbur*****t for the unnecessary expenses incurred due to the driver’s actions—namely the fuel used while chasing the bus, the bus ticket, the flight ticket, and the Uber fare. These costs were completely avoidable and resulted from one driver’s blatant misconduct. As I mentioned, life is not easy for me, but I will move mountains when it comes to my children. My child pleaded with that driver, yet he was ignored.

I will not let this matter go unresolved. I have evidence showing the bus behind and in front of me during the pursuit. The driver’s behaviour was deliberate and unacceptable.