Woman recounts horror ordeal at hands of Facebook serial rape accused
Accused ‘ attacked ’ nine women over two years
Yet another young woman has detailed the horror she went through when she was repeatedly raped by an alleged serial rapist.
Testifying in the Port Elizabeth High Court against Thembinkosi Ngcolomba, 33, the 21-year-old woman said she had first made contact with her alleged rapist via the “Umfula Wothando” (River of Love) Facebook page in 2017 where he used the name Phakamani.
After chatting for a while via Facebook, Ngcolomba allegedly asked the woman for her WhatsApp number, which she refused to give to him, but she went to ask for his number, which he gave her.
According to the woman, who cannot be named because of the nature of the crime, in October 2017 Ngcolomba told her he was in Port Elizabeth on holiday and suggested they meet. He had told her that he lived in Johannesburg.
“At this time he was not chatting to me as a friend but rather with interest, he would call me ‘ babe’ or ‘ love’,” she said.
On October 23, Ngcolomba allegedly asked the woman if she wanted to meet him and watch a movie at Baywest Mall.
“I was excited because I was young and I was excited to go to Baywest and take some pictures and post them on Facebook,” she said.
After allegedly asking if they could meet the following day, Ngcolomba convinced the woman to meet him that day for a short visit as she had a meeting scheduled for 5pm.
“He told me to take a jikeleza (taxi) to NU13 [ Motherwell] because his uncle would be there to meet me and accompany me to him.
“I asked him why he was not with his uncle ... he said no, his mother was not well and he must look after her.
“It touched me because he spoke of his mother,” she said.
At about 3pm that day she arrived at NU13 and met with a man matching the description she had been given of the uncle. He gave his name as Siyabonga, she said.
The pair then walked in the direction of NU29 and after entering nearby bushes Ngcolomba allegedly drew a knife and instructed the woman to follow him to a more secluded area.
Once there he allegedly instructed her to remove her right shoe and pull down the right side of her leggings and underwear before forcing her to lie down on the ground.
During the ordeal, Ngcolomba allegedly threatened the woman several times, saying he would cut her, and also allegedly cut the right side of her neck.
He then raped her three times before robbing her of her cellphone, tablet and money, the woman testified. After her attacker ran off, she was helped by a passerby who called the police.
Ngcolomba has pleaded not guilty to 12 counts of rape, nine of trafficking persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation and seven counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Between May 2016 and February 2018, Ngcolomba allegedly raped nine women, some of them more than once.
The case continues.