A taxi driver who kidnapped and raped a female passenger at Koekoe village in the Free State has been sentenced to life in jail.
The Kroonstad Magistrate Court sentenced Tshwanelo Joseph Lepota, 35, to life imprisonment for rape and five years imprisonment for kidnapping.
On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at approximately 12pm, the victim caught a taxi to town. When she entered the taxi, she found that the driver was someone known to her as Selolo.
"Along their way to town, the taxi driver decided to drive to his house in Koekoe village. Upon their arrival, he threatened to kill the victim should she make any form of noise," police spokesperson Sergeant Josephine Rani said.
Rani further added that the victim cooperated as she feared for her life, and he then pushed her into his shack, where he raped her and later released her.
"The victim then reported the rape to the police, and the case was investigated by Detective Warrant Officer De Gouveia, who, through a thorough investigation, managed to arrest the suspect and secure a conviction," Rani said.
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