A 29-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man has been handed a life imprisonment sentence for the rape of a 30-year-old woman.
The Ntuzuma regional court on Tuesday further declared Bonisile Cele unfit to possess a firearm.
The gruesome rape attack took place in the Inanda area, north of Durban, in June 2022.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, on the fateful day the complainant was in the company of her friend when they were approached by Cele and another man.
Ramkisson-Kara said that the victim’s friend fled and leaving her alone with the two men.
Ramkisson-Kara explained: “Cele’s co-conspirator assaulted the complainant, and they took her to his home where they raped her. She managed to escape and went to the police.
“She was taken to the Phoenix Thuthuzela Care Centre where she received medical and psychosocial assistance. The men were tracked by police two months later. While Cele was arrested, his co-conspirator escaped and is still to be traced.”
During the court proceedings the regional court prosecutor Lisa Abrahams led the testimonies of the complainant, her friend and the doctor.
Abrahams also submitted a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the complainant and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Princess Mlangeni.
In her statement, the complainant wrote that the incident has left her with permanent mental and physical scars. She added that Cele and accomplice have ruined her life.
The NPA welcomed the court’s ruling and sentencing, stating that it is its mandate to protect the most vulnerable in society, namely women and children.
South Africa’s rape cases remain high despite the slight drop of 2% according to the last quarterly crime stats by SA Police Service released in August.
