By Sifiso Xulu.

• Condolence Visit: MEC Mbali Shinga visited the family of slain e-hailing driver Siyanda Mvelase, offering condolences and departmental support.
• The Department of Social Development pledged assistance with funeral arrangements and deployed social workers to provide counselling and continued support.
• ⁠The MEC emphasized the department’s role in restoring dignity and supporting vulnerable communities during times of tragedy.

On 18 August 2025, the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development, Ms. Mbali Shinga, visited the family of the late Siyanda Mvelase, a 27-year-old e-hailing driver who tragically lost his life in a violent incident on 13 August 2025 at Maponya Mall in Soweto.
Reports reveal that Siyanda was fatally shot, and his vehicle subsequently set alight by four unidentified attackers. The brutality of the crime has left his family and community deeply shaken.
During her visit to the Mvelase home in eNhlungwane, near Ulundi, MEC Shinga conveyed her condolences and expressed solidarity with the grieving family. “After hearing of the horrific circumstances surrounding Siyanda’s untimely passing, it was important to be here in person to extend our support and deepest sympathies,” she stated.
The Department of Social Development pledged assistance with funeral arrangements and deployed social workers to provide trauma counselling and ongoing psychosocial support. This intervention reflects the department’s mandate to strengthen families, respond to trauma, and restore dignity to those affected by tragedy.
MEC Shinga reaffirmed the department’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities, emphasizing the importance of compassion and solidarity in times of loss. “We are here to support you in any way we can,” she added, underscoring the department’s role in bringing care and comfort to affected families.