Bellville residents outraged by woman raped, robbed during inDrive ride

A 23-year-old man purportedly involved in the rape and robbery of a passenger who had hailed an e-hailing cab is set to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court in Cape Town on Wednesday. He faces charges of rape and robbery.

Woman raped and robbed on inDrive trip

According to Police spokesperson Lt-Col Malcolm Pojie, the 21-year-old victim had summoned a ride home using the inDrive application last Friday night.

She was assaulted by a man who emerged from the car’s trunk, suspected to be the driver’s accomplice.

“She was fetched by the driver who instructed her to sit in the back of the car. While they were travelling to her destination, a second suspect allegedly appeared from the boot and threatened her with a firearm, demanding her belongings,” he said. 

During the incident, the 21-year-old was deprived of her laptop, cellphone, work scanner, and headphones.

“The suspect violated the victim. They then dropped her on the side of the road,” Pojie said.

According to the Sowetan Live, he further mentioned that the suspects attempted to extort money from the victim’s family but were unsuccessful in their endeavour.

One of the two suspected assailants is slated to appear in court.

Pojie did not confirm immediately whether it was the driver or the alleged gunman.

InDrive Africa spokesperson Lineo Thakhisi stated that the company has barred the driver associated with the purported crime.

“At inDrive, user safety is paramount and we have zero tolerance for violence. After the recent incident, the driver involved has been permanently banned from our platform,” she said.

Besides prohibiting the driver, Thakhisi mentioned that the company provided psychological support to the victim.

Cape Town Bolt driver arrested for allegedly stabbing female riders

Authorities in Cape Town have apprehended a Bolt driver accused of stabbing two young women following a dispute over their requested drop-off location.

The reported stabbing occurred when the driver purportedly declined to drop off the group of friends at their requested destination in Dunoon, even after receiving his R90 fare for the trip.

This refusal came after he had made two stops at ATMs to withdraw money.

According to IOL, following a disagreement with the young women, the driver attempted to leave them at a petrol station, but they declined.

He then drove them to the Table View police station, where officers purportedly advised him to finish the trip since he had received payment. 

Subsequently, a physical altercation broke out between the driver and one of the five young women after he grabbed their cell phone while they were recording the incident. However, the young woman managed to retrieve the phone.

During the altercation, an agitated driver halted the car, prompting the group of friends to flee. 

However, before they could escape, he allegedly stabbed two of them with a sharp object resembling a knife.

Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk verified that a 39-year-old suspect was apprehended by police on Wednesday afternoon at his residence in Brooklyn, Milnerton.

“He will appear at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Friday on a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm,” he said.

In response to the arrest, one of the victims, Silu Daniso, expressed gratitude for the apprehension of the suspect. 

She mentioned that she would only attain peace once the suspect is convicted and sentenced.

“I do not want to get my hopes high with this case. I am still hurt, maybe I will try and forgive him once I have healed and understood why he did what he did,” said Daniso.