{"id":51177,"date":"2021-09-08T09:57:34","date_gmt":"2021-09-08T07:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/taxi-driver-sentenced-for-raping-pregnant-passenger-20210908\/"},"modified":"2025-03-20T19:25:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T17:25:58","slug":"taxi-driver-sentenced-for-raping-pregnant-passenger-20210908","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/taxi-driver-sentenced-for-raping-pregnant-passenger-20210908\/","title":{"rendered":"Taxi driver sentenced for raping pregnant passenger"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Mqanduli Regional Court has sentenced
\ntaxi driver Ntsindiso Gwentshula (27) to undergo 25 years direct imprisonment for
\nraping a 17-year-old matriculant he had given a lift to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Sunday of November 3, 2019,
\nthe victim left her home in Kroza Village to Elliotdale town to prepare for her
\nGrade 12 examinations with her schoolmates. When it was time to go home,
\nthere were no taxis going back to her home village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While still trying to hitchhike,
\nGwentshula, who was known to the then four-months pregnant victim, gave her a
\nlift and promised to take her to her home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the taxi driver stopped at
\ncertain homestead and told her he was taking money to the owner of the taxi,
\nonly to re-emerge after 22:00 at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before they could reach the victim\u2019s
\nvillage, Gwentshula made another stop, demanded that the terrified teenager
\nalight from his taxi, dragged her to another homestead and repeatedly raped
\nher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the following morning, Gwentshula
\nforced the victim to wash her private parts with cold water before releasing
\nher to go write her Life Science examination, that she just managed to pass.
\nBefore dropping her off, Gwentshula threatened to kill her if she reported the
\nrape to the police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After finishing her examinations, the
\nyoung woman telephoned her mother, cried and asked that she return from her
\nplace of work. The mother and her daughter agreed that they should only report
\nthe matter after she finished writing examinations, which they did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Gwentshula was arrested, taxi
\noperators from Elliotdale took the mother and daughter to the Mqanduli police
\nstation and instructed them to withdraw the charges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Investigating Officer advised
\nthem to tell the taxi operators, who had been waiting outside, that the docket
\nwas no longer in Mqanduli and had been taken by regional court prosecutor
\nMelikhaya Dyakopu, and there was nothing that could be done once the docket
\nreached him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One taxi operator understood, as his
\ndriver, Sibongile Mbokothwana, was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape
\nafter he was prosecuted in 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During trial, Gwentshula pleaded not
\nguilty claiming to have been framed by the mother of the victim because she
\ntried to extort money from him. However, under cross-examination by the
\nprosecutor, he contradicted himself and even contradicted his lawyer and
\nwitness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Magistrate, Noluvo Mhlana agreed
\nwith the prosecutor that Gwentshula deserved a lengthy sentence. He abused the
\nvictim not once, because she was dumped by the father of her unborn child after
\nhe heard about the rape, threatened by taxi operators, and did not pass her
\nmatric well as a result. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NPA welcomed the sentence.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: National Prosecuting Authority media statement<\/strong><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Mqanduli Regional Court has sentenced taxi driver Ntsindiso Gwentshula (27) to undergo 25 years direct imprisonment for raping a 17-year-old matriculant he had given a lift 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