Durban — The family of slain Hluhluwe teen Andiswa Mdletshe who was made to drink brake fluid by her alleged rapist believes that the man’s intention was for his victim to not make it home alive.
According to the family, the man was identified as the person who had been seen driving the taxi that Andiswa was crying in. She had been the only passenger in the taxi.
Her grandfather Thishela Nkonyane said that on the day of the incident, a Sunday, Andiswa had been sent to withdraw money from an ATM in town.
“After withdrawing (money) she went to a garage to hitchhike home; we have learnt that the accused after seeing the teen had said he wanted her. He then took the keys to a taxi from another driver and drove to the teen. When others also wanted to get into the taxi he refused to (let them in).”
He said the family were told what had unfolded by the teen who arrived home sick after ingesting brake fluid.
“She told us that when he drove past the garage people there shouted asking where he was taking the girl; he took her where he raped her and gave her poison. He had thought by doing so she would not reach home alive. After raping her when he was driving her home, they drove past a group of women who shouted asking why the girl was crying and he replied that she was his girlfriend. He dropped her off nearby home, when she came into the house she was vomiting and suffering from stomach pains but managed to relay everything to the family including that when the taxi driver dropped her off he had said that they would never see each other again.”
Nkonyane said that Andiswa was rushed to a local clinic and on the way, the vehicle she was travelling in drove past the garage she had been at and that was where she pointed out the person who had shouted asking the taxi driver where he was taking her.
“That person was able to tell us the name of the taxi driver who took Andiswa. At the clinic she was able to say exactly what happened to her, she also did the same at the police station before she died.”
Nkonyane said that the family wanted the accused to remain behind bars and when it came to sentencing a life term for him as befitting justice.
The man’s bail application was expected to continue in the Hluhluwe Magistrate’s Court on March 31.
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