To Escape Alleged Abduction Attempt
CCN News
CAPE TOWN:- A 26-year-old primary school teacher from Stellenbosch is recovering from serious injuries, after leaping from a moving Uber vehicle on 28 August 2025. 
According to her, “in a desperate bid to escape, what i believes was an attempted kidnapping”.
Denusha Nicholas, a teacher at Vlottenburg Primary School, had booked the ride-shareafing at around 3pm from Stellenbosch to her home in Kuils River. What began as a routine trip, quickly turned into terror.
According to Nicholas and witnesses, the driver arrived in a dirty, foul-smelling vehicle. Almost immediately he ignored her requested route and began heading toward Eersterivier, a different direction entirely. When the alarmed teacher changed her drop-off location to the busy Zevenwacht Mall for safety, the driver claimed he could not understand English.
An argument followed.
“He locked the doors,” Nicholas later told friends and family. When she demanded to know why, the driver allegedly replied: “You going to see what’s going to happen now.”
Trapped inside the moving car, Nicholas fought to unlock the doors. Each time she succeeded, the driver reportedly re-locked them. Fearing the worst, she made a split-second decision and jumped from the vehicle while it was still travelling along Polkadraai Road.
The driver allegedly grabbed her leg as she escaped, but she broke free, hitting the tarmac hard and briefly losing consciousness.
Two passing motorists witnessed the fall, stopped immediately, and rendered assistance. The Uber driver sped away.
Nicholas was rushed to Netcare Kuils River Hospital where she spent seven hours being treated for head, neck and joint trauma, deep abrasions to both knees, and widespread bruising.
She has since described ongoing pain and difficulty walking.
She opened a case of attempted abduction with the South African Police Service (SAPS), but says the docket has been transferred multiple times, from Kuils River to Stellenbosch, then to Klapmuts. According to her, with no clear progress or new case number provided. As of early December 2025, she claims she has received no meaningful update from detectives.
A Disturbing Pattern
This is not an isolated incident. In recent months several women in the greater Cape Town area have reported similar experiences with ride-hailing drivers:
In July 2025 an 84-year-old woman was allegedly driven to a remote area after booking an Uber from Cape Town International Airport. She escaped only after raising the alarm at a petrol station.
Multiple female passengers have reported drivers refusing to follow routes, locking doors, or making threatening comments.
While Uber South Africa says it permanently deactivates any driver found to have endangered a passenger and cooperates fully with law enforcement, victims and women’s safety groups argue that background checks and real-time monitoring remain inadequate.
Urgent Warning to Visitors
Cape Town remains one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, but ride-hailing safety, especially after dark or on quieter routes, has become a serious concern.
Tourists arriving at Cape Town
International Airport are particularly vulnerable. Safety advocates strongly recommend avoiding Uber or Bolt for the airport transfer altogether, and instead using one of the accredited airport shuttle services or official metered taxis from the dedicated rank. Alternatively, the longer but significantly safer route via the N2 and R300 highways (rather than the R102 or Baden Powell Drive) is advised, when using any ride-hailing app.
Simple precautions that can save lives:
Always share your trip details with a trusted contact in real time.
Verify the vehicle registration and driver photo before getting in.
Sit in the back seat, diagonally behind the driver.
If anything feels wrong, call the Uber/Bolt emergency line or 10111 immediately.
Have the voice memo or video recording function ready on your phone.
Denusha Nicholas says she will never use ride-hailing apps again. “I chose to jump and risk death on the road rather than stay in that car,” she said. “No woman should ever have to make that choice.”
Police have urged anyone with information about the 28 August incident, or similar experiences, to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or the nearest police station.
As Cape Town heads into peak tourist season, the story of one teacher’s terrifying ride serves as a stark reminder: convenience must never come at the cost of safety.
