A taxi driver was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court for kidnapping a passenger.
Thirty-nine-year old Mthethowakhe Shilembe admitted to the offence committed on a 24-year-old female commuter at about 1am on 16 June last year.
The victim went to the Pan Africa Mall Taxi Rank for a city-bound transport that would drop her off in Kew where she wanted to book accommodation for the night. This was after she had been kicked out of the matrimonial home by a husband.
The accused commented that she looked scared, seemingly in an attempt to calm her down. He let her wait in the taxi after promising that he would depart at around 3am. When he did leave, she gave him the R20 fee but was alarmed when he changed route from the Old Pretoria Road and headed towards Sandton.
He told her that he was taking her to his house. The frightened victim begged him but he continued driving while commanding her to listen to him and said that she didn’t know who he was.
She begged him to drop her near the Sasol Garage on Arkwright Drive and also offered him a R200 note which he took but still, he continued driving. When he took out a balaclava from the glove compartment and put it on his head, she opened the vehicle door and jumped out with the vehicle in motion.
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She noted the vehicle number plate as he proceeded but seemingly circled the area looking for her. She had gone to the garage where the attendants hid her in a toilet after she gave them the number plate.
Alex Police Station officers patrolling in a vehicle came to the garage and the attendants handed her and the note with the number plate to them. By then the accused had vanished. The victim was taken to the police station to report the incident and later to a doctor who reported that she had sustained an abrasion on the lip, had shoulder pain and was emotionally distressed.
She later followed up on the matter with the vehicle’s taxi association and its owner who identified the accused and told him that he was wanted by the police. He went to the station and was identified by the victim leading to his arrest. Investigation revealed that he also had a previous conviction for drunk driving.
