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An increase in the kidnappings of women and children in Gauteng is concerning, provincial Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane said on Sunday.
She said an incident involving a minibus-taxi driver on Friday happened in the wake of her department hosting a taxi summit following incidents of kidnapping, robbery and rape within the industry.
On Friday afternoon, a 30-year-old woman was kidnapped in Ivory Park, Tembisa, after boarding a minibus-taxi to write an examination.
The taxi driver allegedly made advances and touched her numerous times, with the help of a passenger.
Released to family
When she resisted these actions, she was taken to Soul City informal settlement in Kagiso on the West Rand.
Nkosi-Malobane said the woman was found in the early hours of Saturday morning and taken to hospital.
The medical team could not confirm that she had been raped and she was released to be reunited with her family in Tembisa.
"We cannot allow women and children to be subjected to this type of abuse and degradation. I have instructed the investigation team to work around the clock to make a breakthrough on this case," she said.
Anyone with information should report to the police.
Last month, a taxi driver pleaded guilty to being part of a three-man gang which kidnapped, raped and robbed female commuters across Gauteng between 2016 and last year.
READ: Taxi driver serial rapist deserves harshest sentence defence argues
The Daily Sun reported that Lebogang Mokoena, 28, conveyed an apology to his victims in the South Gauteng High Court sitting in Palm Ridge.
He is expected to be sentenced this week.
Kidnapping in Centurion
On Wednesday, Charity Nzuza and a colleague were kidnapped outside her home in Centurion.
News24 previously reported that the kidnappers knew the chief executive officer of the National Forum on the Legal Profession by name, and had full knowledge of her movements.
Dramatic CCTV footage of the incident was shared widely on social media.
While her colleague was dropped off a few minutes later unharmed, Nzuza was driven around for about two hours before the men demanded that she transfer money from the company account.
They later withdrew money from her personal account and she was eventually released.
