Mel... what exactly happened here.. Were you recently chastised by some 'ol lady for wearin a mini skirt or what?
18 February 2008
Zinhle Mapumulo
BRUTALITY: Nwabisa Ngcukana’s miniskirt and underwear were almost torn apart by a mob of Noord Taxi Rank taxi drivers who sexually a**aulted her yesterday. PHOTO: PETER MOGAKI
Stripped and sexually abused
If you thought taxi drivers operating at Noord Taxi Rank had stopped stripping naked women who wear miniskirts, think again. The attacks are back.
This time they are not only publicly undressing women but sexually a**aulting them as well.
Four women fell victim to this practise yesterday at this rank. They were allegedly stripped naked and one of them sexually a**aulted by taxi drivers.
Nwabisa Ngcukana, 25, had to parade but naked at the Noord Taxi Rank after a mob of taxi drivers stripped and tore her clothes. Her crime was wearing a short skirt.
“I have never been so traumatised in my life. I thought these taxi drivers were going to rape me,” Ngcukana said.
“As they stripped me they kept shouting that this is what I wanted. Some were sticking their finger in my vagina while others poured alcohol over my head and called me all sorts of names.”
Ngcukana was apparently not the first women they stripped yesterday, as she learnt from the security guards who rescued her.
“The funny thing about this is that I thought security guards would sympathise with me.
“Instead they mocked me and asked what was I thinking parading around in a miniskirt at a taxi rank. They further told me that three other women were stripped naked earlier for wearing a short skirt,” she said.
“When my friends came into my defence saying I had a right to wear whatever I liked they just laughed at me and said this is the kind of attitude that makes taxi drivers do these things.
“They even refused to call the police saying that they did it the last time and police did nothing.”
Scelo Mabaso, chairperson of the Top Six Taxi a**ociation, condemned the a**aults, calling them inhuman and immoral.
“We urge all women who were hara**ed and stripped naked to lay criminal charges,” said Mabaso.
“If the perpetrators are caught they will be brought to book,” said Mabaso. “We cannot allow such inhumanity in our ranks. Taxi ranks are supposed to be the safest places for the public.”
In 2002 similar incidents were reported at the Noord Taxi Rank. Police again said they were not aware of such practise.
