By Ragheema Mclean

Members of the Somali refugee community in the Western Cape, along with several Uber drivers, staged a protest outside the Bellville Magistrates Court yesterday.

The demonstration was in response to the murder of fellow Uber driver Abdirashiid Haji Mohamed in early February in Bellville Central.

Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Tuesday, a friend of the deceased, Mohammed Adan said Abdirashiid’s death began as a routine Uber request.

“Abdirashiid was a very good man, a father of four, taking care of his family here and back home. He was a community man and a very well-known Uber driver in Bellville.”

Adan detailed:

“He picked two guys up following a request from a University of the Western Cape (UWC) student residence. They tried to rob him and stabbed him eight times, and just threw him out of the car and drove away.”

“The car was stopped by the police in Bellville, who noticed the car was full of blood and forced them to take them to his body.”

He also expressed concerns about the safety of Somali drivers, noting that several Somali nationals have been killed over the past year.

“The crime against Somali nationals is no different from the crime that happens against South Africans. Criminals feel like if they commit crimes against us, there will be no consequences, and this is why we are protesting and raising awareness.”

Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that the Bellville police are currently investigating a murder case.

“Bellville police are investigating a murder case following an incident in Middle Street, Oakdale, Bellville, on 2024-02-09, where an adult male was stabbed multiple times.”

“Two suspects, aged 20 and 22, were arrested. They appeared in the Bellville Magistrates Court on 2024-02-12 on the mentioned charge. The case has been remanded to 2024-02-19.”

Van Wyk said the case has been postponed to next Monday (February 26, 2023) for a bail hearing.

Meanwhile, UWC spokesperson Gasant Abarder confirmed that one of the arrested suspects was a registered student.

He stated, “One of the accused you refer to in your query is a registered student. However, we cannot divulge any name due to the POPI Act. We do not have any other details of the alleged incident since it did not occur on campus.”

VOC NEWS

Photos: Supplied