A taxi driver, who raped a passenger and attempted to rape a five-year old, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

The East London Regional Court sentenced Luthando Veli (35) to life imprisonment for raping a 31-year-old passenger and further sentenced him to five years for the attempted rape of another 23-year-old woman he had given a lift to. 

Eastern Cape National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said that the court ordered the sentences to run concurrently. 

"On 21 November 2020, the woman was hitch-hiking on Oxford Street in the district of East London, going to Southernwood. A Toyota Avanza operating as a taxi stopped for her, promising to transport her to her destination. She got into the motor vehicle and the driver went past her destination refusing to stop for her. He stopped at a secluded area, pulled the passenger out of the vehicle, assaulted and raped her. On 07 February 2021, another woman was hitchhiking from Mdantsane to the town of East London. A taxi stopped for her and there was only the driver inside. On Black Road between Mdantsane and East London, the driver said he wanted to look for other passengers so he took a turn-off which led to a gravel road towards Reeston," Tyali said.

Tyali said that the woman realised that the road led to a forest and requested that she be dropped off. 

"The driver stopped, locked all the doors, and started assaulting the woman but she managed to go out through the window. The driver chased her, she tripped and she fell. He then got on top of her, took off his trousers off and tried to undress the woman. Passersby noticed the commotion and intervened. The driver then ran away, leaving the vehicle at the scene. 

"The police traced the owner of the motor vehicle involved and the owner indicated that he had employed Luthando Veli as the driver and used the motor vehicle as a taxi. He was then traced and arrested and linked to the other rape cases. During the trial, Veli pleaded not guilty admitting that he was indeed the driver of the vehicle involved in the first incident, but it was stolen from him earlier on that day. He claimed that the second victim had accepted his love proposal and they had agreed to go into the forest to have sex but could not explain why the woman ran away from him," Tyali said.

Tyali said the court dismissed his version as fabrication and accepted the evidence led by prosecutor Vuyisa Langa including forensic evidence collected at the Mdantsane Thuthuzela Care Centre where both victims received psychosocial and medical treatment following their ordeal.

Tyali said that the Court Preparation Officer (CPO) Maki Menqe prepared both complainants before they testified and her victim impact statements (VIS) concerning both charges were submitted and considered for sentencing.