Cape storms expose the dangers faced by motorcycle delivery riders

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]Catch you at the 9:00 6:30 eyewitness news bulletin.

[00:00:04]A scooter driver, one of the five fatalities so far and we hope it remains at five of this current Cape storm.

[00:00:13]Happened on Jan Smuts Drive.

[00:00:15]A scooter driver um driving in the back of a vehicle who was trying to slow down for a puddle. The severe weather conditions continue to batter the Cape today. The schools are closed. Many companies are instructing staff to stay at home to work from home, but the driving conditions remain treacherous.

[00:00:37]Still roads littered with debris, storm water drains overflowing. And we as a society, we've become increasingly reliant on the convention and the convenience of having meals, groceries, essentials delivered directly to our doors, often without considering the conditions faced by those having to make those deliveries possible. Uh Surprise Mahlangu is the head of operations at the South African Motor Delivery Association.

[00:01:07]When it comes to driving in inclement weather like this Cape storm over the last day or so, Surprise, what goes through the consideration of a driver who is a contractor? Which means if he doesn't work, he doesn't get paid. Do drivers make the decision themselves whether or not they are going to work in such inclement weather?

[00:01:33]No, the drivers do not make those decisions. And the drivers do not have option whether to say no, I cannot work. Even though uh on their contract they say they are independent contractors, but they are performing the work of employees. That is why uh when they say you need to come to work, you need to come to work. You don't have a choice or Mhm.

[00:02:03]>> [snorts] >> Yes. From from what I understand in Diana says ASAP and 6060 suspended deliveries yesterday. People are so cruel to expect Uber scooter drivers to do deliveries in this weather and then many people don't even tip decently.

[00:02:18]Tell us or take us through some of the experiences of the drivers that you talked to maybe you're still operating in this in this sphere. I'm just just what's it like having to do deliveries in in such bad weather?

[00:02:35]Sorry, I didn't get that. You're breaking.

[00:02:38]Take me through the experience of a driver who has to work in this weather.

[00:02:43]Oh, the experience of the drivers who have to work on this weather is that uh on the delivery platforms that you are given uh limited time to reach to the customer so that your profile can remain positive.

[00:02:58]So, it means you need to increase your speed. So, when you increase your speed when it's raining it is very dangerous to to ride with the high speed because of when it comes to brake it does not brake proper. That is why most of the drivers they are becoming involved in the accidents because of they cannot brake immediately.

[00:03:21]So, so this is the issue with the platforms. There's there's a message here that says it's easy, just don't go to work for your own safety. But you're saying if drivers who are purportedly independent contractors, if they don't fulfill any of the deliveries, if they don't fulfill pitching up and making them available to work on a particular day, they then get downgraded on that digital system that ranks drivers. So, the ones who are most likely there who are doing the quicker deliveries, they get boosted up. Those who don't, they go down the rung. This is how the system works.

[00:04:00]Yes, the systems before they didn't they were not issuing out notice to the drivers. The drivers were expected to perform their their duties.

[00:04:12]Like last week we we we're marching to CMC in Gauteng where is located in Benoni.

[00:04:19]We were talking about this thing that when there's a severe weather like this, please inform your drivers not to come because of the high level of death on our drivers. It has increased. And if you check the background or the reason why most of drivers they became involved in the accident is because of platforms like Checkers. Obviously, when there there's a weather there's a there's a bad weather conditions, orders are becoming Well, yes, drivers they make money, but you cannot make money if you're working under dangerous conditions. Surprise Buthelezi >> starting issuing out such notice. Surprise Buthelezi. He's with the South African Moto Delivery Association.