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Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
A passing prison officer was able to prevent a 12-year-old girl from being raped by 60-year-old Beitbridge taxi driver near Dulivhadzimu Clinic.
After being busted, the senior citizen raced off, but his escape was cut short by the public and was immediately arrested.
Wellington Matiyashe of Tshidixwa suburb last Friday appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Mr Takudzwa Gwazemba on charges of attempted rape and was remanded in custody to June 29.
Prosecuting, Mr Ronald Mugwagwa said the driver was a regular taxi driver for the girl’s family and would often take the girl to school.
On June 12, at around 11 am, Matiyashe came across the girl coming from school with three friends aged between 12 and 13 years.
He offered to drive all of them home in his grey Honda Fit.
He dropped off the girl’s friends first and remained with her in his vehicle. Instead of taking her home, Matiyashe allegedly drove to a bushy area near Dulivhadzimu Clinic where he started fondling her and undressed her in preparation to rape her.
However, he ran out of luck when a prison officer who was passing saw what was happening and intervened. Upon realising that he had been cornered, Matiyashe drove off at high speed with the girl. He paid the girl R20 to buy her silence but that did not work because the prison officer reported the attempted rape to the girl’s parents.
A report was then made to the police leading to Matiyashe’s arrest.
Online Reporter