Serial rape accused wore pantyhose balaclava, court told

Girls and young woman take to witness stand in trial of 23-year-old suspect

An Eastern Cape youth accused of raping four girls and young women fidgeted in the dock and started at his complainants as they painstakingly testified against him on Wednesday.

Akhona Ntombana, 23, of Maletswai (formerly Aliwal North), is on trial in the Makhanda high court sitting in Komani.

He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of rape, two of attempted rape, theft and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The alleged rapes took place in Hilton, Maletswai, between November 21 last year and January 17. He was arrested on January 25.

Some of the complainants — aged between 12 and 22 at the time — said their assailant was wearing a homemade balaclava made from pantyhose.

They testified that they were accosted while they went to relieve themselves in open veld or in the graveyard at Hilton.

All the complainants who testified on Wednesday described their assailant as a slender person, of average height, with big eyes.

They said he wore khaki trousers, a black T-shirt, old Allstar takkies, and the pantyhose over his head.

A girl, who was 14 at the time of the incident, testified in camera via a TV monitor with the assistance of an intermediary.

She said on November 17, she and her cousin had gone to relieve themselves in the bush between 5pm and 6pm because they had no toilet at home.

“I heard footsteps, and I thought it’s someone else who went to relieve herself.

“I finished, and heard my cousin crying. When I appeared I saw someone in a balaclava holding my cousin and she managed to free herself and we ran. He chased us and caught my cousin.

“He ordered my cousin to call me to return and threatened to kill her if I didn’t.

“I returned. He took us to a place where nobody could see us, far away. When we got there he told us to undress.

“He took the blanket my cousin covered herself with and covered us with it.

“He took me aside, not far from my cousin, and raped me. After raping me he went to my cousin and raped her.

“I saw him raping my cousin. He then returned to me and raped me again.

“After that he covered us with the blanket ... we remained there until we could not hear footsteps and we ran home.

“I forgot my underwear at the scene. I felt a lot of pain when he raped me.”

The girl said at one point her assailant rolled the stocking up to his forehead, and she saw his face. She was later able to recognise him and point him out at an identification parade.

Her cousin, 16, who was 15 at the time, told the court: “After doing what he did to [her cousin] he came to me and made me lie down.

“He lowered his zip and tried to penetrate me, but could not.

“He kept beating me. He said I must relax. I cried and asked him to leave me alone because I was scared of what he wanted to do to me.

“He left and again I heard [her cousin] crying.”

The mother of one of the girls testified that her daughter’s dress was drenched in blood when she arrived home.

Another complainant, aged 13 on December 2, also said the accused had pounced on her while she was relieving herself.

Her boyfriend, a 17-year-old, had accompanied her to the bush.

When the girl called for his help, he was able to remove her assailant.

“My boyfriend said I should run and I did. I didn’t see him as he covered his face.”

The boyfriend, who testified, said after removing the accused from on top of his girlfriend, noticed the man was carrying a knife and a brick.

“I moved back because I was afraid of what he could do to me. He charged towards me and slipped and fell.

“He attempted to stab me, but I held the hand that had the knife.

“He hit me on my head with the brick. I don’t recall how many times, but I was bleeding. I managed to push him off and ran.”

The youngest complainant, who was 12 at the time, testified on Tuesday that Ntombana had raped her four times on January 17.

The trial continues on Thursday.