A man — said to be the brother of the taxi driver denied bail over the alleged rape and murder of a Hluhluwe teenager — has been arrested by police accused of raping his 16-year-old cousin.
On Monday, police said Hluhluwe officers are investigating a case of rape following an incident where a 25-year-old suspect allegedly raped his 16-year-old cousin between 2022 and 2023 in the Nompondo area.
“The matter was reported to police and the suspect arrested on Saturday, April 15. He will appear at the Hluhluwe Magistrate’s Court on April 18 (Tuesday),” said Colonel Robert Netshiunda.
A source said the 25-year-old was the brother of the taxi driver alleged to have raped and made slain teenager Andiswa Mdletshe drink brake fluid afterwards.
Mdletshe’s grandfather had previously told the “Daily News” that the 17-year-old had been sent to the CBD to withdraw cash from an ATM on the day of the alleged rape.
She arrived home sick and told her family of her ordeal in a minibus taxi and how she was made to drink brake fluid.
She was vomiting and suffering from stomach pains, she was taken to the hospital but died later that night.
According to the family, the taxi driver’s identity was revealed to them by people who had seen Mdletshe in the taxi crying.
She died after she had been able to tell the police what had happened to her.
Her alleged rapist is expected to appear again in the Hluhluwe Magistrate’s Court on May 11.
He had made his first appearance in court on February 23, 2023, following his arrest.
The court, on Thursday, refused the 24-year-old bail and his matter was adjourned for further investigation.
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