Radio presenter and TV host Anele Mdoda recently shared a terrifying experience with an Uber driver on X (formerly Twitter), revealing how she was verbally threatened during a ride in Cape Town.
In a tweet, Anele explained that the driver became upset after she selected the “Don’t Talk to Me” option on the app. Things escalated quickly when the driver made a shocking statement: “In my country we would rape you to teach you a lesson.” Alarmed and fearful for her safety, Anele faked being on Instagram Live to ensure she could make it home without further danger.
“When he got to my hotel, he started shouting at me, and I really recorded and this is what ensued,” Anele shared. “There was a couple that could see I was under duress. I apologise for my language. I was in danger.” In a short video shared on X by Anele, she is seen angrily confronting the driver, saying, “Say it again! No! He threatened me the whole way back here! I’m recording you on purpose!” She was visibly upset, and her determination to protect herself was clear.
In a follow-up tweet, she explained her actions further: “So after he threatened me with rape to keep in line, I started recording so that if anything happens to me, it’s on record. I faked being on Instagram live. This was in Cape Town.” She tagged @Uber_Support and @Uber_RSA, urging them to take action.
In a third tweet, Anele responded to the comments and criticism she received online, saying, “Thank you for all the comments on this Uber saga, including the ones that say I am the one in the wrong. I am going to press charges today. Twitter won’t make sure that man does not threaten another woman again. The law will. Have a great day further, because I will…”
Since Anele shared her horrifying experience, others have spoken up about similar unsettling encounters with Uber drivers. One user, @Nonti_Manditha, tweeted, “Yoh @Uber_RSA standards have really dropped, I was verbally attacked by an Uber driver because he saw a taxi parked outside my office parking. Then Uber support does their ‘investigation,’ now the driver is playing the victim. Yoh I can’t.”
Another user, @TheSecretSarah, expressed concern: “So sorry you had to go through this! Sometimes Uber feels like Russian roulette. Always one unsafe driver every few rides. Hope you were able to share your location & trip with someone. It’s especially worrying that people use Uber when not sober to stay ‘safe.’”
Anele’s story has sparked a conversation about the need for better safety measures in ride-sharing services.
My @uber driver tonight was upset that I had picked the don’t talk to me option. He then said
“ in my country we would rape you to teach you a lesson” and I had to fake being on instagram live to get home safe
Then when he got to my hotel he started shouting at me and I… pic.twitter.com/yBlOF5z0cr
— Anele Mdoda (@Anele) February 23, 2025So after he threatened me with rape to keep in line I started recording so that if anything happens to me it’s on record. I faked being on instagram live.
This was in Cape Town. @Uber_Support @Uber_RSA
Watch till the end pic.twitter.com/78XhUQx1uO
— Anele Mdoda (@Anele) February 23, 2025Thank you for all the comments on this uber saga including the ones that say I am the one in the wrong. I am going to press charges today. Twitter won’t make sure that man does not threaten another woman again. The law will. Have a great day further, because I will.
— Anele Mdoda (@Anele) February 24, 2025
