Dad ordered rape - alleged rapist

THE lawyer representing Booi Makhubela, who is accused with his son Rodgers of raping 10 women, yesterday claimed the son was misleading the court.

This was when Rodgers Makhubela admitted to raping one of the victims, but claimed he did so at his father's instruction.

The rape allegedly happened after the woman had boarded the Makhubelas' taxi in the early hours of May 19, 2009.

However, lawyer Stephens Themba argued that Rodgers was misleading the court.

Rodgers said his father, who was a taxi driver, woke him up at around 3am and ordered him to accompany him to the local rank.

He said on their way to the rank they saw the victim on the street.

"I am not sure if the woman stopped us or my dad stopped voluntarily. I did not see what happened as I was sitting at the back seat," he said.

He said once the woman was in the taxi, his father ordered him to forcibly take her money and cellphone.

Rodgers said his father then drove to a secluded area where he stopped the taxi and went to where the woman was sitting.

"I grabbed her one hand while my father grabbed the other. We dragged her to the bush. My father told the woman to lie down and then ordered me to rape her," Rodgers said, adding that his father said something bad would happen to him if he did not rape the woman.

It was at this stage that lawyer Themba interjected and insisted that Makhubela was not telling the truth. "I can't lie about my father. God is my witness. I am what I am because of him," he responded.

The younger Makhubela then claimed that was when he lost all respect for and trust in his father.

"He is my parent and he is expected to guide me," Rodgers said.

Booi Makhubela also disputed his son's claim that they were together with another man in 2009 when they raped another woman whom they had offered a lift near Rivonia in Johannesburg.

He claimed it was not rape but consensual sex as the victim - who he insisted was a prostitute - had charged him R90 .

"I did not use a condom and, because of this, she insisted I give her R150 instead of R90. This is where the problem started," said Booi Makhubela.

- alfredm@sowetan.co.za