The East London High Court sentenced two men to life imprisonment for the rape of a pregnant e-hailing driver who later lost her baby.
The East London High Court sentenced two men to life imprisonment for the rape of a pregnant e-hailing driver who later lost her baby.
Lloyd King, 29, and Thandobuhle Mndleleni, 20, were convicted of rape and the court further ordered the accused to be registered on the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The 25-year-old driver received a request on the e-hailing app to pick up two passengers shortly after midnight in March 2021.
According to NPA regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, she transported the men to King’s residence in Amalinda, where they forced her inside a house and took turns raping her.
“After releasing her, the victim went directly to the nearest police station, reported the attack, and led police officers to the crime scene. Both accused were arrested shortly thereafter.”
During the trial, the duo pleaded not guilty, claiming that the encounter had been consensual. However, State Advocate Sibusiso Mgenge presented evidence including the victim's harrowing testimony, in which she detailed the devastating impact the assault had on her life.
“At the time of the incident, the victim was two weeks pregnant, and she tragically lost her child three weeks after the attack.
Additional evidence was provided by Dr Adeniyi from Cecilia Makiwane Hospital, who examined the victim, and members of the South African Police Service who were involved in the investigation,” said Tyali.
Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Barry Madolo, commended the tireless efforts of the prosecution team, the investigating officers, and staff at the Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) in Mdantsane, Nosisi Nangu and Lusindiso Holiday.
Bolt senior operations manager Simo Kalajdzic said: “Bolt commends the South African justice system for delivering a life sentence to those responsible for the horrific crime against one of our driver-partners. Our thoughts remain with the victim, and we hope this outcome brings her some measure of closure.
“The safety of our driver partners is our top priority, and we have implemented several features, such as an in-app SOS emergency button, trip-sharing functionality, and in-trip audio recording. We continue looking for ways to ensure these incidents don’t occur.”
Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said it was profoundly tragic that the survivor not only endured a horrific assault but also suffered the devastating loss of her unborn child as a consequence of violence.
“We honour her courage in coming forward to report this heinous act, and we hope her resilience serves as an inspiration for others to seek justice,” said Monakali.
Cape Times