A WOMAN who spotted her suspected rapist in a taxi and alerted the police led to the arrest of the man on charges of rape and murder.
Police spokeswoman Captain Nomvula Mbense confirmed that Xolani Vanqa, 25, was arrested on July 28 after the woman he had allegedly raped spotted him in a taxi.
"She was on her way home from church and saw the two men who had allegedly raped her weeks before," Mbense said.
"She immediately contacted the investigating officer by text message. The men did not even seem to recognise her."
The woman wrote down the taxi's registration number and the driver, who seemed to know the suspect, was questioned and Vanqa was arrested later that day.
"The other suspect is still on the run and police are looking for him.
"Vanqa is in police custody and has appeared in court and faces charges of murder, attempted murder, rape and hijacking," Mbense said.
Vanqa and his accomplice allegedly hijacked a vehicle driven by a 34-year old man from Pimville in Dube, Soweto, on June 23.
The man's cousin and two women were also in the car.
They were taken to Mofolo, where the men were allegedly shot and the women raped. One of the men died.
The surviving man, who cannot be named to protect his girlfriend's identity, suffered a bullet to his head.
He has been left with a large scar.
Recounting the nightmare, he said they were driven to Mofolo.
"We went over the railway line and they told us to lie down in a ditch. I heard gunshots. I don't remember much from then except that I woke up in a lot of pain, staggered to some house then passed out," he said.
The man's family is still struggling to come to terms with the incident. The extent of their trauma became evident when the survivor's father expressed anger at his son and nephew's attackers.
The father said: "If it was the car that they wanted, why did they shoot them and rape those girls?
"I am so angry and it will take me a while to get over this anger," the father said yesterday. - selebim@sowetan.co.za
Rape suspect spotted in taxi
A WOMAN who spotted her suspected rapist in a taxi and alerted the police led to the arrest of the man on charges of rape and murder.
Police spokeswoman Captain Nomvula Mbense confirmed that Xolani Vanqa, 25, was arrested on July 28 after the woman he had allegedly raped spotted him in a taxi.
"She was on her way home from church and saw the two men who had allegedly raped her weeks before," Mbense said.
"She immediately contacted the investigating officer by text message. The men did not even seem to recognise her."
The woman wrote down the taxi's registration number and the driver, who seemed to know the suspect, was questioned and Vanqa was arrested later that day.
"The other suspect is still on the run and police are looking for him.
"Vanqa is in police custody and has appeared in court and faces charges of murder, attempted murder, rape and hijacking," Mbense said.
Vanqa and his accomplice allegedly hijacked a vehicle driven by a 34-year old man from Pimville in Dube, Soweto, on June 23.
The man's cousin and two women were also in the car.
They were taken to Mofolo, where the men were allegedly shot and the women raped. One of the men died.
The surviving man, who cannot be named to protect his girlfriend's identity, suffered a bullet to his head.
He has been left with a large scar.
Recounting the nightmare, he said they were driven to Mofolo.
"We went over the railway line and they told us to lie down in a ditch. I heard gunshots. I don't remember much from then except that I woke up in a lot of pain, staggered to some house then passed out," he said.
The man's family is still struggling to come to terms with the incident. The extent of their trauma became evident when the survivor's father expressed anger at his son and nephew's attackers.
The father said: "If it was the car that they wanted, why did they shoot them and rape those girls?
"I am so angry and it will take me a while to get over this anger," the father said yesterday. - selebim@sowetan.co.za
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