Family of slain Rea Vaya bus driver, one of two killed in past week, wants answers

The family of a slain Rea Vaya bus driver is reeling, as his pregnant wife comes to terms with raising her children without their father. 

Samuel Silinda, 30, who was shot and killed in Protea Glen during an ordinary day at work, leaves behind his wife, four minor children and his unborn baby.

Silinda had been employed by Rea Vaya for just two months, having completed his learnership with the company.

Excited about his new job, Silinda's family said this was an opportunity to provide a better life for his wife and children. He previously worked as a school driver. 

“This was a position that he wanted. He earned more than where he was previously,” his brother Marito told TimesLIVE Premium. 

On Tuesday, Gauteng police confirmed they are investigating cases of murder after Silinda and another bus driver were shot and killed in separate incidents.

“All of us are shocked. It's a shock, just imagine you wake up in the morning and go to work and all of a sudden you hear your brother was shot — it's so painful,” Marito said.

He received the devastating call while at work. .

“ My mother called and asked who was with me. I said there was a security guard, and she asked me to hand them the phone. She spoke to security. At that time I realised that there was something wrong because she didn't want to tell me.

“After she spoke to the security guard, he gave me back my phone and said I must go home because there is a problem. When I arrived home they told me my brother was dead. From work to home, I was shaking because I knew there was something wrong, but I didn't think he was dead, I thought he was in the hospital or something.” 

Marito said Silinda's wife is devastated.

“She hasn't eaten, they tried forcing her to eat. My wife tried to force her to eat, and she answered, 'If it was your husband, you would understand.' I want the police to catch the criminals who did this to my brother, he must find his justice,” he said.

Marito described his brother as a “good and kind man”. 

“He was a person that loved to laugh and tell jokes. It's a lot that I will miss, I don't know where to begin, he was my brother, my flesh and blood,” he said.

Silinda was among two drivers who succumbed to bullet wounds on Monday night.

Police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said in one incident, the driver (Silinda) had stopped at a robot along Wild Chestnut Street in Protea Glen, when he was shot and killed by unknown suspects.

In the second incident at Tshithuthune Street, Mapetla in Soweto, an eyewitnessthat was the last passenger on the bus heard gunshots and took cover.

The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a wall.

He was declared dead on the scene, and the passenger sustained no injuries, she said. 

City of Johannesburg MMC for transport Kenny Kunene has offered a reward of R100,000 of his own money for the successful prosecution of the culprits.

Kunene said it was clear this was a well-orchestrated plan.

“It is not just killing of innocent drivers who are doing their job, but this is a declaration of war on the residents of Soweto and the government. Don't despair, don't be intimidated. No stone will be left unturned,” he said.

Kunene said an in-depth security assessment is being carried out to strengthen security at BRT stations and on feeder routes.

He said resources will be deployed to escort and protect drivers and buses to circumvent possible attacks.

Meanwhile, passengers are still shaken by the incident.

A passenger who did not want to be named said he was inconvenienced by the halting of the bus services.

“I am not OK because ... there were no buses to work and we are now using taxis. We had loaded our cards knowing that it would last us the whole month,” said the passenger.

The passenger had loaded R600 on his Rea Vaya card to last him the month for his trips from Meadowlands to the Carlton Centre. 

They said they now have to pay R136 extra to commute to work.

He said the amount he has used to find alternative transport would have been enough to last him half the week using the bus.

Rea Vaya shop steward Risimati Mathebula said they are meeting the City of Johannesburg to address driver concerns.

Drivers are requesting a long-term security plan, he said. He added he believes this was an orchestrated attack.

“The way it has been done, they had a car to move from one place to another,” Mathebula said.

In the past week, 51 Public Utility Transport Corporation (Putco) buses in Mpumalanga and nine Northwest Transport Investments (NTI) buses have been set alight.

The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) believes there is a need for urgent intervention from the government and the department of transport .

“The country cannot go on like this. Satawu will be meeting the minister of transport to find solutions to this.

“We will address the issue of unpaid salaries of workers at NTI, our members and workers have not been paid their salaries for nine months now. The company is said to be facing challenges of corruption and maladministration.

“We will be writing a formal letter to request a meeting with the employer (Rea Vaya, Putco and NTI),” said the union.