A 46-year-old man from Northern KZN has been sentenced to three life terms in prison, along with an additional 12 years, for the horrific treatment of various women.
The Madadeni Regional Court delivered the sentence after the man was found guilty of rape, assault, and kidnapping in May and November 2019. His victims were three women, aged 40, 17, and 27.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the first victim was acquainted with the man, who asked her to help him carry groceries home. Once inside his house, he locked all the doors and windows and raped her. She managed to escape when the man’s friend arrived to smoke drugs with him.
In the second incident, the man invited a teenage girl into his house for a drink of water, then locked all the doors and windows. He assaulted and raped her when she refused to have sex with him. His daughter was present during the attack but did nothing to help. The man then made the girl sleep between him and his daughter, raping her throughout the night. When she tried to escape, he severely assaulted her and raped her again. The girl eventually fled to a neighbour’s house for help.
The third victim was attending a traditional ceremony at the man’s house when everyone else had left. He locked her in and raped her, keeping her overnight before walking her home the next day. She reported the incident and the man was arrested.
All three victims received psycho-social services, counseling, and support at the Madadeni Thuthuzela Care Centre.
The Regional Court Prosecutor, Bonginkosi Dan Motha, led the evidence against the man and submitted Victim Impact Statements compiled by the women, highlighting the profound impact the crimes had on their lives.
The successful prosecution of this case affirms the NPA’s commitment to curbing gender-based violence, and the organization commended the work done by the prosecution and the SAPS.