Lindiwe Zulu’s friend accused of abducting and raping young woman

Sazi Fakude, a businessman and a friend of Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, has been accused of raping a young woman he allegedly abducted from a club in Sandton in the early hours of Monday morning.

In a police statement, the 25-year-old woman she was partying at the Hydro Lounge in Sandton when a guy known to her as Sazi walked in and greeted her, City Press has reported.

The woman knew Fakude as he had allegedly dated a friend of hers. She went to the bathroom and left Fakude with her friends, but was surprised when she came back and found them arguing.

The woman told the publication that she tried to calm him down, agreeing to walk to his car with him as she did not think he would do anything to her.

“We went to his car and while I was telling him to behave well in public because he’s a respected person, he drove off [with me] without my permission. I sent my friends a location so that whatever happened to me on that morning, they knew where I was,” she told the publication.

She also sent her friends WhatsApp messages between 4.45am and 5.48am, including “he’s gonna kill me” and “Bring police. I’m begging you.”

One of her friends confirmed to the publication that she received the messages.

Fakude allegedly told the woman that she wasn’t going anywhere and that “no girl says no” to him.

“He told me he wanted to have sex with me. I told him that’s not going to happen. He then slapped me several times and strangled me for a while. He smashed my phone on the floor and threatened to kill me if I made a noise. I was hopeless, lying down … he undressed me and forced himself on me,” she told the publication.

Gauteng spokesperson captain Mavela Masondo confirmed a case of rape had been opened, but no arrest was yet made.

Fakude told the publication that he was aware of the allegations.

“The case was opened. What do you guys want from me?” he told City Press.

His lawyer, Graeme Krawitz, told the publication: “My client refutes and vehemently denies the allegations of impropriety. He has not been charged yet and cannot comment further at this stage.”

Zulu admitted to knowing Fakude, but said “there’s absolutely no shopping”, when asked about the pictures of them together apparently shopping.

“I work, shop alone with my own money.

“If it happens, we have a lunch in any place, it’s just a lunch and we come out for fun; we just take fun pictures. There’s absolutely nothing to it,” she told the publication.