The Mthatha Regional Court in the Eastern Cape has sentenced a 45-year-old man to life imprisonment for the rape of his wife in front of their minor daughter.
On Thursday, the court also added concurrent sentences of three years for assault, five years for violating a protection order, and four years for causing a person to witness a sexual offence.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA], the nightmare unfolded against a backdrop of escalating domestic abuse in the KwaTshemese village.
Wife had protection order
The couple, along with their three children, shared a home. But the wife filed a protection order in November 2022 because she feared for her safety. The interdict barred her husband from assaulting her or exposing their children to further violence.
Tensions boiled over on the evening of January 1, 2023.
Intoxicated, the man demanded his wife join him in a separate house on their homestead. The wife refused.
Sensing danger, the mother and children barricaded the main door and retreated to the bedroom. They locked the door behind them.
But the husband returned armed with a garden spade. Using the spade, he mashed through the door and into the bedroom.
“He dragged his wife to the living room, ordering her to undress for sex. He struck her repeatedly with the spade’s sharp edge, inflicting severe head and body injuries,” said NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.
The man then raped her in full view of their young daughter.
“The daughter, attempting to shield her mother, was assaulted as well. In the chaos, the victims fled the scene. The wife was rushed to a local hospital, where she spent a week recovering.”
Tried to persuade wife to forgive him
Tyali said the husband evaded arrest for months, even attempting to persuade his wife to forgive him.
Police apprehended him in May 2023 at his residence.
In court, the accused pleaded not guilty to all charges, offering no credible defence.
State Advocate Luvuyo Komanisi presented the case, including harrowing testimony from the wife and daughter. Also a J88 medical report detailing the extent of the injuries.
For sentencing, the prosecution submitted a victim impact statement prepared by court preparation officer Ziyanda Fambaza. It highlighted the profound trauma inflicted on the family.
