Abduction of women on the rise in Pietermaritzburg

A new trend has emerged in Pietermaritzburg where young women are being abucted, drugged and raped.

According to Pietermaritzburg police spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala, these incidents are becoming a concern around the city.

Speaking to The Witness, Gwala said most of the incidents took place on a Friday or on weekends.

He said the criminals are targeting young women who are out enjoying themselves or are waiting for transport to take them home.

“These people [suspects] will find you standing somewhere waiting for your transport and grab you forcefully and put you in their car. They drive with you to a certain destination where they will drug and rape you. When they are done, they leave you in a place you don’t know or leave you in the bush. They also offer young women lifts and take them to places where they will have fun, and they then drug them and rape them.”

In one of the incidents, Gwala said a woman from Mooi River was standing in East Street waiting for transport to pick her up when an unknown car with three occupants stopped next to her.

They grabbed her and put her in their car and drove towards Maqongqo, just outside Pietermaritzburg, where they kept her for two days in a house.

“They drugged her, raped her and locked her in the house and left on the third day. She managed to scream and escape with the help of neighbours who also gave her money to go to the police. A case of rape was then opened and is currently being investigated,” he said.

Gwala urged women to be vigilant of their surroundings and to also avoid taking lifts with strangers as this might lead to them being raped.

“If you are waiting for your transport please make sure that you are not alone and be around where it will be easy to get help if anything happens.

More similar cases reported

Pietermaritzburg LifeLine and Rape Crisis director Sinikiwe Biyela said they have also received cases of young women being drugged and raped.

In one case a woman called an e-hailing car to take her home and when she was picked up she thought it was the car she requested, but it was not.

“They blindfolded her and took her into some bushes where they gang-raped her. When they were done they blindfolded her again and dropped her in town,” she said.

Biyela said with this trend going on, it is important for women to have a reliable person on speed dial who will be able to assist them when they are in trouble.

She said they must also start switching on their location on their cellphones so that they can be easily tracked just in case something happens.

“Also taking down the details of the car you are boarding, and your whereabouts and sending them to someone at home can be very helpful. In the cases where women are grabbed forcefully, it is a bit tricky because we do not want them to do something that will put their lives in danger.

“They must try and assess the situation and see if they can get help by screaming or something. But young women must also avoid going back home late and travelling alone.”