Not in our name, said Faraday Taxi Association
A known taxi driver is being sought by the authorities after being accused of rape.
The rape of an 11-year-old girl in the Muldersdrift area has prompted the Faraday Taxi Association to work with the police in their gruelling quest to find an accused taxi driver who has apparently vanished into thin air.
This traumatic incident was reported to the Muldersdrift Police Station by the parents of the victim after the alleged rape in Joe Slovo informal settlement on Saturday, 20 January.
Spokesperson for the Muldersdrift Police Station, Warrant Officer Masedi Masedi, confirmed the incident. He said the culprit is known to the taxi industry and it seems he has abandoned his job and is keeping a low profile.
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After the incident was reported, Masedi indicated that the police took the child to a government hospital where the injuries inflicted on her were documented on a J88 form. The J88 is an official form issued by the Department of Justice which documents the medico-legal examination that a healthcare practitioner performs on a victim and highlights findings that are potentially relevant for legal action.
Masedi added that the taxi association was not happy after learning about the incident and asked to intervene with regard to assisting the rape victim and finding their own accused colleague.
The Faraday Taxi Association public relations officer, Rackson Mudzanani, who condemned such behaviour on behalf of the taxi body, confirmed that the driver worked for one of their members, and said they remain shattered by this incident. “We are still shattered by this. On 22 January we [delegates of the association] met with the councillor for the area and the family of the victim to help as we are also feeling the pain that is felt by the victim and parents,” said Mudzanani.
As the devastation is fuelled by anger, it is unclear what will happen if the accused driver is caught by the community; however, Masedi assured the media that the taxi industry, the community and parents have agreed to cooperate with the police.
Mudzanani told Northsider that the delegates are in talks to move the girl to a private hospital for further treatment and care, given the trauma she suffered. “We’ve made the suggestion to transfer the girl to a private hospital due to her pain. We do not tolerate this in any form because it’s not only damaging the association but the taxi industry as a whole,” a distressed Mudzanani said.
An identikit of the suspect is soon to be released by police.
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