SAPS endeavours continue to yield positive results as more heavy sentences are handed down as a result of the quality investigation skills adopted by our dedicated Detectives from the FCS (family violence, child protection and sexual offences) unit.
A 23-year-old man will be spending life in prison after he was convicted in the Makhanda High court in Komani for the rape and assault on six victims between the ages of 12 and 22.
The attacks started in November 2021 up until January 2022.
On 21 November 2022 at about 18:00 two victims went to the veld to relieve themselves when an unknown male person approached them and grabbed the two. One managed to escape but the suspect called her said threatened to kill the one he had captured. So the other victim came back as they were cousins. The suspect took the blanket which the victims were having and covered them with it and raped the first victim. He tried to rape the second victim but failed. The first victim managed to see the suspect before he covered his face with a balaclava.
On 26 November 2022 at about 17:45 the victim aged 16 was on her way to Joe Gqabi where she stays. When approaching the back of Egqili High School, Hilton the accused approached her with a knife and dragged her into the bushes, forcefully undressed her and raped her twice. The suspect covered himself with a balaclava.
On 2 December 2022, at about 14:30 a victim aged 13 was taken halfway by her boyfriend to relieve herself at the nearby bushes. The victim entered in the bushes to relieve herself and accused grabbed her and threw her on the ground and climb on top of her. The victim screamed and her boyfriend went to investigate and found the accused on top of his girlfriend. He then pulled the person away who was wearing a balaclava. The accused took a brick and hit the boyfriend on the head several times and until he lost conscience. The victim ran and sought help. People nearby came and the accused fled.
On the 3 November 2022 at about 12:00 a 22-year-old victim who was three months pregnant was on her way to Joe Gqabi where she stays. The accused approached her and dragged her to the nearby bushes and then raped her.
On 17 November 2022 at about 14:10 a 12-year-old victim was on her way to Joe Gqabi walking at the back of Egqili High School when the accused approached her with a knife and dragged her to a nearby old Quarry next to the railway line and raped her. The victim managed to see the accused before he could cover his face with the self-made balaclava.
On 27 November 2022 Warrant Officer Mokheseng from Aliwal North FCS received a call from a victim in one of the cases and they told him that they have spotted a male person next to Egqili High School sitting at the bus stop wearing the same clothes the accused was wearing when he had raped the victim. Warrant Officer Mokheseng immediately arrested the accused.
The accused appeared before the Grahamstown High Court that sat at Komani (Queenstown) from the 21st of November to the 2 December 2022.
The accused was found guilty and sentenced as follows:
Count 1: Rape- life imprisonment.
Count 2: Sexual assault- 10 years imprisonment.
Count 3: Rape- 18 years imprisonment.
Count 5: Sexual assault – 10 years imprisonment.
Count 6: Assault GBH – 5 years imprisonment.
Count 7: Rape- Life imprisonment.
Count 8: Life imprisonment.
The acting District Commissioner Brig Asogran Naidoo commended the meticulous and professional investigation by the investigating officer D/W/O Sehlobo Mokheseng that made the remarkable sentence possible.
Justice has been served in ensuring that Akhona Ntombana was sent to jail for the rest of his life.
