Wife tells of park horror

Court hears how woman was sexually assaulted and naked husband forced into lake

AWOMAN who survived an attack in Rhodes Park in Kensington, Joburg last year, has told the High Court sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court how she was sexually assaulted before her husband was murdered.

The woman, her husband and another couple were attacked by a “large” gang of men on October 17 .

Recalling the last moments she spent with her husband, she said: “My husband suggested that we go chill at the park, we got there around five in the afternoon. When were got there, we played on the swings and decided to walk around and have a proper view of the park,” she said

“While we were walking, we saw a large group of men who were all dressed in black and also wearing hats. They went past us, and before we knew it, we heard a cocking sound of a gun and someone saying: ‘Now you are getting robbed’.”

She explained how she was kicked and forced to lie down while they were being searched. “I can’t tell who it was because I had my face down, but one of the guys came and cut off my panties.

“After that, I felt a sharp pain in my private parts as two fingers were roughly inserted. The person performing the act was busy asking me where have we hidden the money,” the victim explained while demonstrating with her hands how she was sexually assaulted.

She said the group had a ringleader who suggested that “everyone gets killed as they didn’t have money”.

“One of the members who was merciful during the entire ordeal was against the idea and said the women should be left alone,” she said.

“They stripped my husband and his friend naked and told them to go swim across the dam. I cried uncontrollably and heard my husband praying very loudly as he was being marched to the dam. The men told him to stop making a noise because they also know the God he’s calling out to. After a while, I didn’t hear his voice any more and I didn’t know what to think.” WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 26 2016

Thabo Nkala, 25, Admore Ndlovu, 23, and Mduduzi Mathibela Lawrence, 32, kept their gaze fixed on the woman as she testified in their murder and rape trial. They all pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and murder.

The three face charges of assault, robbery, rape, sexual assault and murder.

The charge sheet says the group, armed with a gun and a knife, forced their victims to lie on the ground. They used a knife to cut off the panties of both women. They raped one and sexually assaulted the other.

They forced their partners to undress and forced them into the lake, where they drowned. The gang stole their clothes, jewellery and cellphones. – ANA