The slight woman works at Mon Petit Pain during the day and at Olive Tree at night to save money for her future. “I usually take a taxi because it is safer than getting into a car.” She was alone in the taxi. “I did not feel uncomfortable at all. It is a well-known taxi in town, painted with rugby players and advertising transport to sport events. We all know it.”
When the driver reached the Bloemfontein Sport Field he stopped and asked her whether it would be okay for him to get out for a moment to relieve himself.
“I said, yes. Before he got back into the taxi he opened the back sliding doors and closed the windows. He then slammed the door shut again. He got back into the taxi and made a phone call. I heard him say in Afrikaans, ‘I have a girl with me. I’m bringing her to you now’.”
Claasen says it suddenly dawned on her that he had locked the doors. “I realised he did not know that I could understand Afrikaans. Cold shivers went down my spine and I only wanted to get out.” She says when she tried to open the door she could not.
“It was locked. When I looked back at him he had a knife in his hand. He held it to my throat while driving off at a great speed. I started screaming and screaming but he just drove. He grabbed on to the steering wheel and held the knife between his legs with his one arm around my shoulders. I reached over and grabbed the steering wheel with my one hand and started opening the window on his side.” She says she heard the knife fall on the floor. “The taxi was swerving across the street. Within seconds I had my torso hanging out of the window. The taxi driver had his one hand on the steering wheel and with the other hand he was holding on to my legs.” She says she saw people coming out of their houses.
“They must have thought it was a lovers’ quarrel because no-one tried to stop the taxi.” She says she kicked him and the taxi swerved again, which gave her the opportunity and the momentum to throw herself out onto the tar road. “People came running out to help me and the taxi sped off.”
Claasen was taken to hospital. Badly bruised, she arrived at the Knysna Police Station at about 02:00 on Sunday morning, September 28. They took a statement and later that morning detectives picked her up and took her to the owner of the taxi, Ashwin Klein. According to Claasen, Klein did not seem surprised about the events and neither did he seem very interested in giving it his serious attention. Initially, Claasen says, the police seemed equally reluctant to seriously pursue the matter. In fact, when she said she was going to alert the media, one of the officers said, "But this is small stuff."
“He told the police that he knew the man. He alleged that the guy took the taxi without his permission but parked it again in its usual spot with the keys in it during the night. He gave the police the man’s ID document and address. As far as I know no arrest has been made.”
Claasen believes that she was not alone on the taxi that night. “My parents have Saturday night prayers at their house and while this was happening to me they were praying for me.”
Her voice is hoarse from all the screaming and her body is bruised and battered. “I’m not keeping quiet about this,” she says bravely. “There is too much going on in the township. That poor little girl is still gone. For all I know it was this same guy that took her and sold her.”
She says he was constantly referring to money he will get paid for her and how much he needed it. “I don’t know what would have happened to me if he dropped me somewhere else. All I know is that my chances would have been slim to survive. It is a well-known taxi and I am more than able to identify this man.” Claasen says she does not fear that she will be targeted. “What I fear the most is that something like this will happen to someone else and that they will not be as lucky as I was. This was a horrific, scary and traumatic experience. Thank God I could understand Afrikaans and thank God my parents were praying for me.”
According to Knysna SAPS communication officer, Sergeant Chris Spies, a case of assault has been opened but not a case of kidnapping. "We followed up on the home address of the alleged driver of the taxi, but so far we have been unable to find him. No arrest has yet been made." When asked to explain why a case of kidnapping had not been opened, Spies was vague in his response. Although Spies acknowledged that the suspect had a knife, wanted money from Claasen and locked her into the taxi against her will, the police could not adequately clarify the reasons why these facts did not constitute kidnapping. Nor could he explain why the taxi owner had not been taken to the police station for questioning. According to the police there is no record that Klein reported his taxi stolen.
isiXhosa
U Wendy Claasen oneminyaka eyi (27) ubephuma emsebenzini ebusuku emva kwentsimbi yesithoba ngoMgqibelo umhla we 27 ku Septemba. Njengesiqhelo uyokukhwela iTaxi e Grey street eya e White Location. Ngethamsanqa kuye kwavela i Taxi eyaziwayo eKnysna ehonjiswe ngabadlali bebhola yoMbhoxo ngaphandle yandikhwelisa. "Ndiye ndakhwela sisobabini nomqhubi, ithe xa ise Bloemfontein ngasebaleni acele ukuyozinceda, xa ebuya avalisise amacango ade awatixe onke, uye wangena watsala umnxeba esithi uyeza ufumene intombi ethetha nge Afrikaans, ndiyaqonda bengayazi ukuba ndiyayazi i Afrikaans ndaqala ukoyika ndazama ukuvula ucango, wakhupha imela wayibeka entanyeni kum esithi uzandibulala. Ndiye ndazama ukujijisana nomqhubi nge Steering wheel yada yawa phantsi imela ndakwazi ukuvula ucango kwicala lomqhubi ndikhala, baphuma abahlali endiqonda bebecinga ukuba ngabantu abathandanayo, ndiye ndaphumelela ndazilahla phantsi endleleni ndabaleka, ndashiya imfono-mfono ne Bhegi yam, nomqhubi wabaleka emva koko. Ngelixesha kwenzeka esisithwakumbe bendingendedwa abazali bam bebethandaza ngelixesha lesisithwakumbe. Into inye ebeyithetha umqhubi yimali ayifunayo ngam, kodwa uyalile ukuyithatha ebendimnika yona ye Taxi. Ndiyaqonda ukuba kulapho kusiwe khona lomntana mncinci ulahlekileyo. Ndiyambulela u Thixo kuba ndiyazi i Afrikaans, kuba ngendiphi ngoku?" Othethela amapolisa u Seargent Chris Spies, uthethe wenjenje ityala livuliwe malunga nobundlobongela hayi elokuxhwila, "Siyile apho ahlala khona umqhubi kodwa akafumaneka akukabikho mntu ubanjiweyo okwangoku.
The entrance to the Bloemfontein Sports Field where a taxi driver got out to relieve himself before locking his only passenger Wendy Claasen into the vehicle. Claasen managed to escape some distance away from the sport field.
ARTICLE: INGRID ERLANK, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD EDITOR
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