Taxi driver who went missing after his Quantum got burned Last week during the Taxi & E-hailing operators was found dead.

The Monama family from Emndeni is reeling in grief after the tragic discovery of their loved one, 37-year-old Lebohang Monama, whose body was found near a disused mine outside Randfontein. Community patrol members alerted the family after stumbling upon human remains, and when relatives rushed to the scene, their worst fears were confirmed—it was indeed Monama.

Before his disappearance, Monama worked as a driver for the WATA taxi association, operating a white Toyota Quantum (registration number 010 SEK GP). He was last seen on Thursday, but when he failed to return home and could not be reached on his cellphone, his family grew increasingly worried. Their concern deepened when they learned he had not handed over the day’s taxi earnings to the vehicle owner—something completely out of character.

On Friday, the search for Monama took a darker turn when his taxi was found burnt out in an open field in Slovoville. Authorities suspect the vehicle was stripped for parts before being set alight. Monama himself was nowhere to be found, heightening fears about his fate.

Those fears were tragically realized when his body was later discovered with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. According to the family’s spokesperson, Mbali Gwebu, the condition of the remains indicated he had been lying at the site for several days.

Naledi police have since opened a murder case and launched an investigation. Describing him as a vibrant and cheerful man whose laughter could fill any room, the family says his brutal death has left them shattered.

“We are deeply heartbroken by what has happened to Lebohang. He was a joyful soul, and his absence leaves a painful void in our hearts,” said Gwebu.