Taxi driver rapist guilty on 43 counts

007-behind bars: Vuledzani Ramulifho, was found guilty on 43 counts of rape at the Palmrigde Court, the matter was postponed on the 17 of May 2013 10.04.2013 Picture:Dumisani Dube

007-behind bars: Vuledzani Ramulifho, was found guilty on 43 counts of rape at the Palmrigde Court, the matter was postponed on the 17 of May 2013 10.04.2013 Picture:Dumisani Dube

Published Apr 11, 2013

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Johannesburg - “Today is our day… He may have been in control that day but today is our turn.”

Barbara* spat out those words as she scornfully looked at her assailant, Vuledzani Ramulifho, during a short adjournment in the Palmridge Magistrate’s Court.

Next to her sat several other women Ramulifho had assaulted, robbed and raped during 2010.

Wednesday, was indeed their day to get justice as Johannesburg High Court Judge Naren Pandya concluded his marathon three-day judgment, finding 27-year-old Ramulifho guilty on 43 out of 49 counts. These related to incidents in which he had lured 14 women into his white Quantum taxi under the guise of taking them to their destinations, pepper-sprayed their faces, extorted or robbed them of money, and subsequently sexually assaulted or raped them.

The judge began by saying that “the State relied on the similar evidence rule in addition to the evidence of the complainants”.

“It would appear the perpetrator or driver (Ramulifho) had a phobia of HIV. He would not rape passengers who told him they had HIV…

“The driver (Ramulifho) was the person who raped in most instances, though there were instances where a (male) passenger also raped. One looks at the totality of the evidence and can conclude the accused was working with a modus operandi. It is clear that the accused and the passenger were acting as accomplices and in common purpose,” he continued.

The tall, slender, light-complexioned man some of Ramulifho’s victims had described as the passenger, who was also an assailant, has not been found by police.

Ramulifho had offered a blanket denial, saying he had no involvement in any of the incidents, but the judge said it was clear he had been the driver of the taxi and the perpetrator of the crimes.

“One asks, is this the sort of treatment a taxi driver gives passengers?” Judge Pandya said.

In one incident, Ramulifho had even asked the woman how many rounds of sexual intercourse she wanted as he put on a condom before raping her.

“And out of cheek, he asked her if she wanted to be his girlfriend! She just stared at him… It is clear this was well thought out by the accused,” he said.

The judge rejected Ramulifho’s evidence as “false beyond reasonable doubt”, and found him to be an accessory to rape in instances where women had been raped by the unknown male passenger.

“The modus operandi was the same, the court hearing the evidence could almost anticipate what would happen next. The court finds that it was the accused who drove the taxi,” he added.

Ramulifho sat in the dock, nervously twiddling his thumbs as he looked on at the judge.

His victims sat behind him, using the short adjournment to speak to one another. However, they declined to comment after the proceedings adjourned.

Regional National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Phindi Louw said: “We are satisfied with the judgment. It serves to boost all the hard work done. We want to commend the bravery of the women who were willing to break the silence and ensure that their perpetrator was brought to book.”

 

TIMELINE of Ramulifho’s crimes

* Sept 14, 2010 - Mary* caught a white Quantum taxi on Ontdekkers Road. A male passenger then boarded the taxi. Instead of being dropped off at her destination, she was accosted by the driver and passenger. She pointed out Ramulifho at a parade.

* Sept 22, 2010 - Sheila* was picked up by a white Quantum taxi, and a man ordered her in. Ramulifho sexually assaulted her. She was ordered to call her mother to ask her to deposit R2 000 into a supermarket money market account. Sheila subsequently pointed out Ramulifho during an identity parade.

* Oct 1, 2010 - Ntombi* says she was on her way to work from Eastgate when a white Quantum stopped for her and she got in. The driver turned into a road unknown to her. The driver was with another man. The passenger removed her underwear and inserted his finger and a closed knife into her vagina.

* Nov 4, 2010 - Samantha* caught a white Quantum taxi driven by the accused from Witpoortjie to the Joburg CBD. She was pepper-sprayed and fought back. The men robbed and assaulted her, then released her. Days later she saw Ramulifho driving in Roodepoort.

* Nov 7, 2010 - Veronica*, a Zimbabwean student, was abducted by Ramulifho. Another female passenger and a male passenger were also in the taxi. Ramulifho undid the female passenger’s zip and when he saw her Zimbabwean passport, he said: “We’ll show you what SA is like.” Neither woman was raped, but both were robbed and dropped off. The other woman is also a complainant in the case.

* Nov 10, 2010 - Mpho* got into Ramulifho’s taxi, was pepper-sprayed and threatened with a screwdriver as he made stabbing movements towards her. She was forced to ask various people for money, and a friend deposited R800. Ramulifho and a passenger demanded R5 000. Ramulifho raped her.

* Nov 20, 2010 - Nompumelelo* boarded Ramulifho’s taxi. He was with a male passenger. The passenger jumped on her, saying that they didn’t want to kill her but wanted money. She was raped and robbed.

* These are not the complainants’ real names.

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The Star

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