“It still kind of haunts me, even today; I am sceptical about catching a lift.”

These are the words of 32-year-old Thandeka Mathibela, who shared her terrifying experience of being abducted on November 26, 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mathibela said she was waiting for transport on the N17 outside Bethal towards Trichardt after leaving court.

Unable to find a metered taxi and frustrated with long-distance taxi drivers, she walked down the road to a quieter area near a scrapyard. A white vehicle stopped when she signalled for a lift.

“It was only the driver in the vehicle. I asked if he was going towards Trichardt, and he said yes, so I got in,” said Mathibela.

With buckets occupying the back seat, she sat in the front. As they drove, the man asked where she was going, where she was from and where she worked.

“I could hear he had a Nigerian accent. It shook me a bit, but I brushed it off because I wasn’t in a talkative mood.”

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Mathibela had to pay the fee for the toll gate between Bethal and Trichardt, but shortly after, the motorist suddenly changed their destination.

“He told me he was no longer going to Trichardt. He wanted to meet a friend in Kinross and would either drop me outside Trichardt or bring me back afterwards.”

Mathibela objected, saying she was already late and did not know the man or his friend.

“He became angry and said I was being mean and rude. I told him that people go missing and bad things happen when we are not safe.”

As they approached a bridge near the Thubelisha Mine turn-off, she noticed another vehicle and a person standing outside.

She opened the window and screamed for help, but no one intervened.

“He called me a mad woman and threatened to teach me a lesson.”

Mathibela reached for her cellphone, but the driver warned her not to make a call.

Altough she could clearly see his face, he pulled down a mask, and produced a long knife.

“He took out a long knife and said he was going to teach me a lesson,” said Mathibela

The man struck her in the face with his left hand.

He then demanded she switch off her device and give him money. Terrified, Mathibela obeyed and handed over about R1 500.

The vehicle continued past Trichardt towards the Kinross-Evander N17 exit.

Looking around, she noticed bloodstains on the buckets in the back seat and a strong metallic smell.

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“The knife, the buckets, the blood, everything was racing through my mind,” said Mathibela.

When the driver tried to strike her again, she focused on praying.

“I just kept praying and begging God for help.”

Near the exit to the Wildebees water reservoirs, the driver instructed her to lower her head and perform sexual acts on him.

“I was trying to untie his pants. By then, I knew we were far past Trichardt and going towards Kinross, and I wasn’t going where I needed to be. Something told me to open the door.”

Mathibela jumped from the moving vehicle.

“When I hit the road, I fell onto the tar. Two nearby farm workers saw what was happening. When I tried to get up, I heard them whistling.”

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The workers flagged down a passing motorist travelling to Delmas, who took Mathibela to Evander Hospital.

Without her phone or contact numbers, she managed to call a student support manager from Gert Sibande College, where she was studying at the time, from the hospital.

“She took me home, and I went to eMzinoni police station because I feared the man might come back.”

She was instructed to return to the hospital to complete a J88 form and informed police that the suspect had passed through the toll gate and that it was possible he may go through it again.

After receiving little assistance at eMzinoni SAPS, she went to Bethal SAPS, where another woman was reporting a similar incident.

The woman alleged that she had previously declined several offers of a lift from the same suspect but accepted one that day because she was running late.

She claimed he drove her onto a gravel road, where she managed to escape after fighting back. Using descriptions from both women, Ermelo police compiled a sketch of the suspect.

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To this day, Mathibela says she has never received an update on the case or learned whether anyone was arrested.

“I am certain this man had other victims. The other woman and I were just fortunate enough to escape,” said Mathibela.

She still relies on public transport and says the experience continues to affect her.

“The only way I think I would ever feel completely safe again is by having my own vehicle.”

Mathibela still experiences flashbacks whenever she sees small white cars, but says fitness, the gym and supportive family have helped her recover.

“You always hear about people who go missing and are never found, or who are found dead. I am grateful that I managed to escape. It brought me closer to God because He gave me the courage to jump from the car,” said Mathibela.

Today, she focuses on fitness and wellness while working as a travel agent, in communications and raising her six-year-old son.