The Lusikisiki Regional Court
sentenced four rapists to life imprisonment in three different cases this week.
Spokesperson for National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Luxolo Tyali, confirmed that Nathi Chithelo (32) and Athenkosi Gcambaza (25) were sentenced
for raping a woman (18), while an uncle (30) was sentenced for raping his
nephew (3) and Thobela Khulani (35) for raping a mentally ill woman.
“The teenage victim was
walking home from Makukhanye High School in Lusikisiki on January 15, 2023 when the incident happened. She was accosted by Chithelo and Gcambaza who were
unknown to her.
“They threatened her with a knife and instructed her to follow
them to a house that was still under construction,” said Tyali.
He said they
then took turns raping her before fleeing.
Tyali said after her ordeal, the
victim alerted the first person she met on her way and the community was
mobilized leading to the apprehension of the two within the vicinity and they
were handed over to the police.
“During the trial, they pleaded not guilty. Chithelo claimed that the victim was his girlfriend and his accomplice saying
the victim consented to a ‘threesome’.”
He said in another incident, an uncle
pleaded guilty for raping his toddler nephew when the mother of the victim was
away on September 8, 2021, at the home they shared in the Ngobozana area, also
in Lusikisiki.
According to Tyali he admitted that he promised to buy the
victim sweets and lured him to his room where he anally penetrated him. He said
he was arrested after the victim reported the incident to his mother, who took him to St
Elizabeth Hospital Thuthuzelea Care Centre.
“The victim was badly injured, so
much so that he uses an artificial instrument to relieve himself.
“Khulani also plead guilty after his DNA was linked to the crime of
raping a mentally ill and mute woman on July 28, 2021 in Mantlaneni area.”
Tyali said he was arrested after the woman showed her mother what had happened
to her pointing to her private part. He said the victim was later able to
point out Khulani after the community had rounded all men in the village and
conducted their impromptu identity parade.
Eastern Cape Director of
Public Prosecutions, Barry Madolo, commended the prosecutor, the TCC staff and
the investigating officers, adding that the sentences were a clear indication
that the NPA’s strategies targeted at Lusikisiki, dubbed the rape capital of
South Africa, were delivering the desired results.
