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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
A 60-YEAR-OLD Beitbridge taxi driver had to drive off at high speed on Friday last week after being caught red-handed by a prison officer while attempting to rape his client’s 12-year-old daughter in a bushy area near Dulivhadzimu Clinic.

Wellington Matiyashe of Tshidixwa suburb (Medium Density) has since been dragged to court charged with attempted rape.

Matiyashe, who is being represented by Mr Jabulani Mberesi, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Mr Takudzwa Gwazemba yesterday.

He was remanded in custody to June 29.

Prosecuting, Mr Ronald Mugwagwa said the senior citizen was a regular taxi driver for the complainant’s family and would often take the girl to school.

He said on June 11, at around 11AM Matiyashe came across the juvenile who was coming from school with three friends aged between 12 and 13 years.

The accused offered to drive all of them to their respective homes in his grey Honda Fit. He delivered the girl’s friends first and remained with her in his vehicle.

Instead of taking the complainant home, Matiyashe allegedly drove to a bushy area near Dulivhadzimu Clinic where he started fondling her and undressed her in preparation to rape her.

However, he ran out of luck when a prison officer who was passing by caught him in the act and upon realising that he had been cornered, Matiyashe drove off at high speed with the complainant.

He paid the girl R20 to buy her silence but that did not work because the prison officer reported the attempted rape to the complainant’s parents.

A report was then made to the police leading to Matiyashe’s arrest. @tupeyo