A voice note of an unidentified woman who claims that she had been robbed at knife-point while travelling in a taxi from Bellville to Parow, is currently being circulated on social media.
It is unclear as to when the incident occurred.
Gloria Veldsman, a voting district captain who resides in Manenberg, told the newspaper that the message was received on their Activists for the DA WhatsApp group, when she forwarded it to TygerBurger’s sister-publication, People’s Post on Thursday 30 January.
The message was received on that day.
In the voice note, the individual says that she wants to warn other commuters to be vigilant and aware travelling from Bellville to Parow, and encourage them not to just get into any taxi.
“I normally travel from Bellville to Parow, and from Parow to Bishop Lavis on a daily basis.
“A taxi with a guard stopped. There was nobody else in the taxi. I got into the taxi. It was not the first time that I got into a taxi where there is no one in the taxi because it is only a short distance from the Bellville CBD to the swimming pool and they fill up their taxi’s from there.
“The driver then said that there is a roadblock ahead and that they would have to turn off into one of the side-streets in Parow to get to the Parow Centre, and try to avoid the roadblock. I looked and I saw that there were no blue lights, and I still said I do not see the lights and that there is probably not a roadblock,” the voice note explains.
She then says that the driver had by that time already turned into the side-streets.
Knife
“Just as we turned, the guard pulled out a big knife, which he held to my throat. He wanted my money. I gave him my bag with my money inside it. They took my phone and my bank card. They wanted my pin number for my phone and my bank card which I gave to them. They were driving through an industrial area in the small side streets.
“They came back with me onto Voortrekker Road. They turned onto Mike Pienaar Boulevard with me, still holding the knife against my throat. They then took a left turn, before the Karl Bremer Hospital and past a clinic,” the voice note continues.
She then claims that they stopped at the back of the Oostersee train station near a bushy area.
“I really thought that they were either going to kill me, or rape me,” she said while sobbing.
The woman claims that she was then chucked out of the taxi and given a R20 for taxi fare.
Warning
“I just want to warn people not to get into an empty taxi, just be very vigilant. Be aware of your surroundings.”
The victim managed to get help from a good Samaritan at a nearby clinic. “There was someone who offered me a lift. I had to go to the bank to stop my card, and went to the Parow Police Station where I was for two hours, just to get a case number.”
She says she hopes no one endures the same ordeal. “This is just a warning. Please be vigilant, please be aware not to just get into any taxi. I hope this information will help somebody,” the voice note concludes,
TygerBurger approached the Parow police, visible policing head and detectives for comment, and is still awaiting their response.ctives for comment, and is still awaiting their response.
