Two men were sentenced to an effective 30 years inmprisonment each for rape and housebreaking with intent to rape by the Botshabelo Regional Court in the Free State, police said on Friday.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Martin Xuma said the two men, Phehello Richard Marumo, 25, and Teboho Lawrence Zola, 23, committed the crimes in 2015, at a house in Section L in Botshabelo.
“They knocked on the door and the two sisters that were in bed chatting asked who was knocking. There was no answer and the two went to the bedroom window and knocked again. The two sisters asked again who is knocking the two responded by saying they are looking the sisters’ cousin. They told the two that their cousin was not around,” Xuma said.
Xuma said Marumo and Zola then forced open the window and entered the house.
“They were armed with knives and started looking for the cousin in the house but the cousin was not around.”
Marumo threatened a 26-year-old woman with a knife and undressed her before raping her.
“The other 24-year-old sister requested to go to the toilet. Zola accompanied her to the outside toilet and then told her that they should run away as she will also be raped. While on the way, Zola took out a knife and instructed the 24-year-old sister to undress and he raped her,” Xuma said.
Both men raped the sisters repeatedly, before Marumo took the 26-year-old’s phone and left, while the 24 year old managed to run away from Zola.
A case of housebreaking with intent to rape and rape was opened and assigned to Detective Constable Alfred Mofamere of Selosesha FCS (family violence, child protection and sexual offences) Unit, who managed to trick Marumo by phoning him on the stolen phone and arranged for them to meet.
“They met on the same day, 29 November 2015, at about 11:30 and the investigating officer apprehended the accused. The second accused, Teboho Zola, was apprehended the following month as he was hiding at an initiation school. He was known by the victims,” Xuma added.
Both Marumo and Zola were positively linked through DNA and were on Wednesday handed 30 years direct imprisonment.
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