Kombi talk this past Tuesday from Tlokweng to Station Road Mall: A lady who recently was hitch hiking from a weekend night session around 2am in Gabane and going to Tsholofelo in Gabs was instead driven to somewhere in Mogoditshane where an area with night joints had too many people drinking the night away, with loud music coming from the many cars that were crowded in the area. Magatwe a re there were three men in the car that picked her in Gabane, and they silenced her with a knife and forced her to undress once in Mogoditshane. They too played loud music as they parked on the periphery of the crowded area where they then took turns in raping her inside the car. Gatwe at any given time there would be two of the men inside the car while one would be drinking and dancing outside by the car to ensure the safety of those with the lady inside. Once the one who had just been sexually violating the lady was done, he would go out to also dance and sing while mmata wa gagwe would go inside to help ensure the lady inside behaved while his mate was busy on her. Gatwe it went on and on like that with no one suspecting a thing. People passed by not knowing rape was going on inside the car. Once done, they drove a short distance away and asked the lady to go out before speeding away. Revelers were shocked to learn from the crying lady that rape was going on beside them and she couldn’t scream because of the threat to her life. Unfortunately no one had paid attention to the car and no CCTV camera captured the area of the crime.

The chatting women in the kombi were warning their fellow female folk against hitch hiking especially at night, with some saying bone when they get into strangers’ cars they check registration details and send them to their relatives and friends. Others said they send pinned locations. Bottom line: be careful who gives you a ride, especially at night. Gatwe some criminals deliberately drive out there to target hitch-hiking women. Be warned!