Long jail times for King rapists

SEVERAL men convicted of sexually abusing vulnerable women around the King William’s Town area were separately sentenced to lengthy jail terms recently.

Three of the four rapists were sentenced to life imprisonment three weeks ago while another was sentenced to 22 years in prison for raping a 36-year-old mentally challenged Ngqwele village woman.

King William’s Town police spokeswoman Captain Siphokazi Mawisa said this week, Mzukisi Bonani, 29, was sentenced to two life sentences by the Bhisho High Court after he was convicted of raping a 98year-old woman from Gobozana Location near Tamara.

The rape occurred in June last year when two men robbed the elderly woman before raping her.

“One of the suspects, Lusanda Songelwa, 32, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in June to 17 years for rape, five years for robbery and three years for housebreaking.

“Bonani, did not plead guilty and his case continued at Bhisho High Court, resulting in him this week being sentenced to two life imprisonment terms for rape, 15 years for robbery and three years for housebreaking,” Mawisa said.

The sentences will run concurrently.

In another incident, 26-year-old Inathinkosi Weni was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Zwelitsha Regional Court for raping a 68-yearold woman at her Tshabho village home in Berlin.

A few days before Weni’s sentencing, Thabo Ntshebe, 29, was sentenced to life imprisonment also at the Zwelitsha Regional Court for raping a 14-year-old in Ndevana in 2015.

Also last week, the same Zwelitsha court sentenced 30-year-old Sibusiso Nduneni to 22 years in prison for raping a 36-year-old mentally challenged woman in Ngqwele village outside King William’s Town in December 2015.

Lieutenant-Colonel Zitulele Mahlambeni said their sentencing would send the message that the law deals harshly with perpetrators of gender-based crimes, especially those committed against the vulnerable group. —