EFF Calls For Background Checks On Taxi Drivers As More Taxi Rape Survivors Come Forward

More taxi rape survivors are coming forward, while the opposition party has called for the vetting of taxi drivers.
Taxis are parked at Bara taxi rank in Soweto, South Africa, July 21,2016. Picture taken July 21, 2016.
Taxis are parked at Bara taxi rank in Soweto, South Africa, July 21,2016. Picture taken July 21, 2016.
Siphiwe Sibeko / Reuters

The Economic Freedom Fighters on Friday called for background checks on taxi drivers, as more survivors of rapes in taxis came forward.

According to reports on Thursday, a gang of men in Johannesburg were using a Quantum minibus taxi to pose as a legitimate taxi, and then raped women who got on board. In one case, a woman was raped for more than four hours while her son was forced to watch.

The EFF on Friday condemned the attacks and called on the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) to start "aggressive" background checks on its drivers.

In a statement, the party said it was a fact that young black women endured "massive abuse and sexual harassment that they have grown too tired of reporting in our taxi ranks and industry spaces."

"In fact, the government of the ANC has normalised this violence against women by not treating the treacherous acts and reports of sexual violence with urgency and precision. This in turn enforces normalised sexual violence against women and in particular, black women."

On Thursday, a suspect and a vehicle were reportedly identified, according to eNCA. More victims have come forward and three women are people counselled at the Ikhaya Lethemba Centre.

Gauteng Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane told eNCA that one of the women was in hospital.

She reportedly said information was received about a vehicle used in one of the rape cases.

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