Thandoluhle Ngcobo18 August 2025 | 7:57

Maponya Mall shooting survivor Baratile Sekwala 'not okay' says family member

Baratile Sekwala, who is a Grade 8 teacher, was coming back from work last Wednesday in an uber to Klipspruit, when two bullets struck her in the face. While she survived, one of the bullets remains lodged in her left cheek.

Maponya Mall shooting survivor Baratile Sekwala 'not okay' says family member

Maponya Mall in Soweto on the morning of 14 August 2025, just hours after an e-hailing driver was shot and killed and two vehicles were set alight. Picture: Jabulile Mbatha/EWN

JOHANNESBURG - The family of a 27-year-old woman caught in the crossfire during an attack on e-hailing drivers at the Maponya Mall in Soweto said that her life had been turned upside down.

Baratile Sekwala, who is a Grade 8 teacher, was coming back from work last Wednesday in an Uber to Klipspruit when two bullets struck her in the face.

While she survived, one of the bullets remains lodged in her left cheek.

Sekwala is one of two people who sustained injuries when an e-hailing driver was shot dead and his car set alight outside the entrance of the mall by four unknown men.

Speaking at a prayer service held at the place of the shooting on Sunday, Sekwala's aunt, Palesa Molausi, said it had been an agonising experience for 
the young teacher.

"Baratile at the moment is not okay, she's still in pain. She'll be going back to the hospital, so we don't know how the process today will go because she’s hurt in her eye and a bullet is still stuck on her face."

She said the family had also not been able to cope since the ordeal.

"We don't sleep. Since Wednesday, we can't sleep. We went to the doctor just to get something to help calm all our nerves because we are traumatised."