Another incident has emerged involving an e-hailing service, where a 21-year-old woman was robbed and raped by her driver and then abandoned in Kraaifontein.
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The woman had sought a ride around 9:25pm on Friday from Alexander Street, Bellville.
According to police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie, the Bellville police have filed charges of robbery with a firearm and rape in connection with the case.
‘Preliminary information suggests that the 21-year-old victim summoned an (e-hailing service) to take her home from work. She was fetched by a foreign driver who instructed her to sit in the back of the hatchback vehicle.’
‘While they were travelling towards her destination, a second foreign suspect allegedly appeared from the boot and threatened her with a firearm, demanding her belongings. He robbed her of her laptop, cellphone, work scanner and headphones. The suspect then violated the victim, whereafter they dropped her on the side of the road,’ said Pojie.
It’s reported that the suspects also coerced the woman into calling her relatives to demand money from them.
Emre Uygun, chairperson of the Bellville Community Police Forum (CPF), stated that on Sunday, they received information indicating that four men had been detained for questioning.
‘I am still waiting for formal communication and confirmation because I was told two were released. The cameras in the area were able to pick up the Hyundai vehicle and show that it was still in the northern suburbs, roaming around.’
‘Any swift arrest to this heinous crime will be welcomed and with the perpetrators behind bars it limits the chances of more people, especially women, being harmed. We will support the victim even at court and have a petition calling for no bail, we take all GBV cases seriously,’ said Uygun.
According to IOL, by the deadline, there was no response from the e-hailing service Indrive to inquiries made.
Uber stated that its investigation team was actively looking into whether the driver involved in the incident had any affiliation with their platform.
‘We need more stringent measures such as face recognition technology when the driver accepts a trip, and vetting.’
‘Our government seriously needs to look into these safety issues if the companies are not doing much to ensure passengers’ safety and security,’ said Uygun.
Following the recent ordeal in Bellville, it’s important to note that a separate incident involving 39-year-old Benedict Chitungu, a Bolt-affiliated driver, surfaced. Chitungu appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court facing two counts of attempted murder stemming from allegations of stabbing two women aged 20 and 21 on 4 May.
The case was adjourned to 17 May for bail-related proceedings. Bolt’s spokesperson, Sandra Buyole, confirmed the company’s awareness of the incident and stated that an internal investigation was underway.
Siyabonga Hlabisa, spokesperson for the Western Cape E-hailing Association (WCEA), expressed shock at the recent Bellville incident and mentioned their ongoing inquiry into the Bolt incident.
‘We simply cannot afford to have these crimes that haunt the industry. We support the call for vetting and heightened security measures,’ Hlabisa said.
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Picture: Misha Jordaan / Gallo Images