27 year old serial rapist Emmanuel Mudau was found guilty by Johannesburg high court for allegedly raping four women after requesting a ride on the e-hailing app Bolt. Mudau is facing four counts of rape, four counts of kidnapping and assault grievous bodily harm(GBH). Picture: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers.
A Bolt driver who raped four women between January and February 2022 has been sentenced in the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, to two life terms and 60 years for four charges of rape, four kidnappings and two counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Emmanuel Mudau, who was as registered as a driver with Bolt and between January and February 2022, targeted women who requested transportation from Cosmo City to various destinations using the Bolt app.
One of the victims, who could not be named, gave a brief account of her ordeal on Friday, saying her life was turned upside down by the horrible incident.
The victim, who sobbed during her testimony, testified in aggravation of sentence on Friday, saying her life had become a nightmare due to the incident.
“For a few months after this incident happened to me, I couldn’t sleep at night and feared going out at night,” she said.
During the trial, the four complainants testified that as soon as they entered Mudau’s vehicle, he refused to take them to their intended destinations and took them to secluded areas where he instructed them to undress and raped them. In two separate incidents when the complainants tried to run away, one was stabbed and the other strangled to force them to comply.
State Advocate Coleen Ryan echoed the victim’s sentiments when she argued that the court should not deviate from the ordained sentences, stating that these women had been scarred for the rest of their lives.
“As we reflect on this outcome, our thoughts are with the complainants and their families. They suffered immeasurable pain, and the memory of this ordeal will remain inked in their minds for a lifetime. We, however, hope that they find solace in that the perpetrator has been removed from society,” said the prosecutor.
The National Prosecuting Authority has commended Ryan and investigating officer Sergeant Mokwai for their efforts in delivering justice.
“We also extend our gratitude to court preparation officers Judin Mbalati and Jennifer Sibisi for their unwavering support to the complainants, making sure that they were prepared to tell their ordeal in court,” the NPA said.
Godrich Gardee of Gardee Attorneys, who conducted a watching brief upon the case, said: “The beast has been sentenced today to two life sentences and multiple 15 years for other charges. Leave to appeal denied. You trusted Gardee Attorneys and we got him arrested and a watching brief ...You are a star... May God protect you and you save many women.”
The Star
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