Kids in Hotel Rape Nightmare ‘She Is Continuing with Counselling but She Is Very Angry
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Pretoria West GetGet thethe lifestylelifestyle youyou alwaysalways imaginedimagined FEBRUARYBBRUAARY 19,199, 20212020 1 • 012-842-0300 We salute our medical frontline workers Free Covid testing at mobile clinics across Pretoria The Tshwane metro has urged members of the community to test for Covid-19 for free at a mobile clinic rotating around Pretoria. “Come and get tested,” primary health care mobile team coordinator Cindy Venter said on Wednesday, during the Tshwane Covid-19 outreach campaign at one of the community halls in Pretoria. She said people who tested positive for Covid-19 followed certain health protocols, such as remaining in isolation, which assists the country in its eff orts to curb the spread of the virus. Pictured here professional nurse Pauline Matshego is helping residents during a visit by the testing clinic to a local community centre. You can read the full article on page 3. Photo: Ron Sibiya Kids in hotel rape nightmare ‘She is continuing with counselling but she is very angry. This week was her fi rst day at school and we do not know how she will treat others or react.’ SinesiphoSinesipho SSchrieberchrieber the courtroom when the accused appeared. ordered alcohol. An aunt of the 13-year-old girl said the “After that, the man took the children A case of a 45-year-old45-year-ol man accused of child was not coping emotionally and she to the hotel. The kids say he threatened to rapingraping two minor girlsgir at a Pretoria hotel had started attacking boys. shoot and kill them if they made a sound, lastlast year, has been postponedpo for further “She is continuing with counselling but moved or tried to report him at the hotel. He investigationinvestigation and DNADN reports. she is very angry. Today was her fi rst day placed them far from the staff when he got The man appeared briefl y in the Pretoria at school and we do not know how she will there. magistrate’smagistrate’s court onon Tuesday morning, treat others or react.” “The kids say he poured water on them oonn two counts of kidkidnappingn and rape Previously, the families of the two girls and demanded they take their clothes off . iinvolvingnvolving two minorsminors, aged 11 and 13. opened up about the incident. “He then raped them.” The man was accusaccusede of kidnapping the Speaking to Rekord, the family said Amanda said seeing the accused at court ggirlsirls from Lotus GardGardense near Atteridgeville they believed that no sentence would raised a lot of emotions. before taking them to tthe Pretoria Hotel and help alleviate the “damage” caused to the “I have never seen him before. I hope allegedly rapinrapingg them, last year children. To protect the identity of the justice will be served but even then it sadly NoNovember.vember. mother of the 13-year-old victim, Rekord cannot reverse the damage and harm done to NationaNationall prosecuting authority will use “Amanda” to refer to her. the kids and the families,” she said. ((NPA)NPA) fi lled for the case to Amanda said she was at work when She said her daughter has started with be postppostponedo for further she received a call at night on Friday, counselling sessions. iinvestigationsnvestigat and submission 20 November, reporting that her daughter The uncle of the 11-year-old, who also ofof outstandingoutstand reports. was missing. cannot be named to protect her identity, said NPA’s JP Liebenberg said the “I was shocked when I received the call. the family felt the justice system failed them. prosecuting aauthority needed more I knocked off at work and headed home in “This man was convicted of rape but ttimeime as there wwere outstanding DNA Atteridgeville to look for her. Fortunately, released, how can a rapist get parole? If he rreports.eports. there was a child that saw the kids being was kept in jail maybe this would never “W“Wee neneeded more time for the violently pushed inside a car.” have happened,” he said. iinvestigations.nvestigations. TheTherer are outstanding Around 05:00, Amanda received a call “I feel pain for the family of his fi rst rreportseports more specifi ccallya the DNA reports from the police that her daughter had been victims and the two kids.” tthathat usually take longelonger so we have agreed found. “In the case of these children, a lot of for a two-month postppostponement.”o “My daughter told me that she was stakeholders failed them. In December, Bikers Against Child Magistrate Thandi TTheledi postponed the accompanying her friend home when it “At the hotel they booked a standard Abuse members including Amazon ccasease to 13 April 2022021.1. started getting cold. On their way to her room for the man and the children and not a Namane (in pic) protested outside the The 45-year-old accaccused’su identity cannot friend’s house, a car stopped and the man family room. Even if the man said he would Pretoria magistrate’s court to support be ppublishedublished until afteafterr he had pleaded. shoved them inside the car and instructed the sleep on the fl oor, I wish they booked a the families of rape victims as a Meanwhile, chaos eeruptedr outside the driver of the car to speed off .” diff erent room for them.” 45-year-old man appeared in court. ccourtroomourtroom as the famifamiliesl of the girls were Amanda said the two girls said the man The uncle said his family wanted the disgruntled after they wwere not called into got off at a restaurant in Arcadia where he alleged rapist to get a life sentence. 2 NEWS PRETORIA WEST REKORD FEBRUARY 19, 2021 ‘Unruly associations behind the violence’ Keitumetse Maako of the associations’ involvement in taxi operations. Minibus taxi associations have become “In certain instances, money collected is a “law unto themselves”, according to a for the benefi t of these executives. commission of inquiry into taxi violence in “The incumbent executives also generally Gauteng. avoid calling for elections that may have “Despite the legal framework provided them voted out of fear of losing power and by the national land transport transition money,” Mamabolo said. act (NLTTA) and the Gauteng public According to Mamabolo, the associations passenger road transport act (GPPRTA), the have become a “law unto themselves” by minibus taxi-type service is controlled by collecting money from members daily or the associations,” said Gauteng roads and weekly. transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo. “This money is not accounted for Mamabolo made these remarks when properly,” he said. he made the commission’s fi ndings public However, the industry’s faulty business during a media briefi ng last week. model was not the only problem. According to him, these associations Mamabolo said the control and controlled who got to join them as well as management of ranking infrastructure was MEC Jacob Mamabolo engages with taxi drivers in Pretoria. the routes. They also dictated where each another cause of confl ict and violence in the operator should operate, while also allowing industry. Gauteng roads and transport department dispute between long-distance associations those without operating licences to join Another cause of the violence in offi cials.” operating between Bosman taxi rank in them. the industry was allegedly inadequate In a recent alleged taxi violence incident, Tshwane and the Limpopo province. This was why vehicles owned by information systems being used. two men were shot and killed along Prinia Responding to the fi ndings, Gauteng the associations and some “powerful” “The impact of the system on causes of Street in Rooihuiskraal in October of last police commissioner Lieutenant General individuals in those associations did not confl ict and violence is vast. year. Elias Mawela affi rmed police’s commitment have to wait their turn in loading lines, but “Confl icts arise because some associations One of the victims was Jabu Mahlangu, to address defi ciencies fl agged by the could instead move to the front when they fraudulently enter routes so they can operate chairperson of the Pretoria-Mabopane- commission to ensure commuters’ safety. arrived at the taxi rank. on those routes,” Mamabolo said. Polokwane taxi association. “We have, since our interventions, “This causes a lot of resentment from the The commission was reportedly provided The other was his driver Fency Mphahlele. observed a reduction in taxi violence general membership.” with a long list of routes and association At the time, Mamabolo said this “heinous incidents in the province. However, we He said incumbent executives also resisted names said to be operating illegally. act” robbed the industry of a “brilliant, can never fool ourselves into becoming leaving their positions, even when they had “The weaknesses of the system enable capable and humble leader” who played an complacent in our eff orts to deal decisively reportedly been voted out of offi ce, because fraudulent changes with the assistance of instrumental role in negotiations to resolve a with violent crimes,” he said. Doctor shares impact of ‘unpredictable’ Covid on her life ‘The pandemic came with endless uncertainties and we started out knowing very little about the virus, what it does, how it affects the body and which systems are affected.’ Sinesipho Schrieber mark the end of 2019, I had many aspirations for visitors. When they do see someone, it is with a 2020: new tasks, new courses, changes I wanted to mask, at a distance and facial expressions elude NavigatingNavigating throughthrough the uunprecedentednprece make to change lives and make a diff erence. Little them.” Covid-19 ppandemicandemic has become a learning did I know that 2020 had a far bigger plan for all Lee said during the second wave of high infection curve for medical prpractitionersactitioners aas it came of us.” in the region, she saw people getting very sick with with uncertainties with little knowknown about the Lee said the tough times grew many aspects of most needing immediate intubation and ventilation.