Times Of Swaziland: SCHOOL BUS DRIVER RAPED ME IN KOMBI - HIKER

SCHOOL BUS DRIVER RAPED ME IN KOMBI - HIKER
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Joseph Zulu on 21/10/2023 06:46:00


MBABANE – In an incident that left even police officers shocked, a woman who
had boarded a kombi was allegedly raped.
The shocking incident is said to have happened last Thursday at around 6:30am.
It is alleged that the woman had hitchhiked the vehicle while along the
Mbabane-Ngwenya Road. The unsuspecting woman unaware, of the terrifying ordeal
that awaited her, had accepted what seemed to be a harmless lift from the driver
who had just returned from dropping off children who were attending school.
The woman is said to have noticed that the kombi was empty and concluded that
this was just an ordinary driver, who would drop her off at the Mbabane Bus
Rank, but it turned out not to be the case. Instead, it was the beginning of a
horrific ordeal. The incident took place during morning rush hour with commuters
unaware of the heinous act occurring just a few miles away. It is alleged that
when the woman boarded the kombi, the driver deviated from the main route and
parked the vehicle.He is then alleged to have threatened her and proceeded to
rape her. It is alleged that he raped her several times while inside the
vehicle, despite that it was already daylight and people were passing nearby,
unaware that a woman was being raped inside the vehicle.
Forced
After the woman was allegedly violently assaulted, she was forced out of the
vehicle leaving her traumatised. The woman is then said to have informed members
of the public about the incident but the said driver was long gone. Determined
to bring the perpetrator to justice, she reported the incident at the Mbabane
Police Station and described the details of how she ended up being raped. Upon
receiving the report the police immediately discovered that the kombi matched
the description of one that was reported stolen and they launched a manhunt for
the culprit.
Police officers posted the stolen vehicle on Facebook so that the public could
assist in locating it. When a photo of the vehicle had been posted, members of
the public are said to have informed the police officers about the location of
the alleged rapist. As investigations, progressed authorities received vital
information that led them to Mpofu, a community near Buhleni, where the suspect
was rumoured to be enjoying alcoholic beverages.
The police wasted no time when they were given the exact location of the alleged
rapist and swiftly apprehended him.
This publication also gathered that the police were not as surprised when they
nabbed the alleged rapist as it turned out that he was somebody they were
already familiar with. It is alleged that the alleged rapist had previously been
arrested on similar charges, but was released on bail. After being apprehended,
it is alleged that he was later taken back to Mbabane for further interrogation.
The alleged rapist, whose identity has not yet been disclosed by the
authorities, is expected to appear in the Mbabane Magistrate Court on Monday.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Chief Police Information and Communications
Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati were unsuccessful, as her phone rang 
unanswered at the time of compiling this report. However, sources close to the
matter confirmed that the police arrested a suspect in connection with the
alleged rape.
Stressed
The sources further stressed that the suspect was out on bail for a similar
offence, raising questions about the efficacy of the judicial system in dealing
with repeat offenders of such heinous crimes. Noteworthy is that the kombi was
being driven by a driver popularly known as ‘bo malume’, a term used to
refer to drivers who transport children to school. The incident also highlighted
concerns about the safety of children. Speaking on condition of anonymity
parents expressed concern about how the driver was rehired to transport children
when he was still out on bail for alleged rape charges.