Johannesburg - An Alexandra man on trial with his father for multiple rapes has told the Johannesburg High Court that “prostitutes don’t go to church”, in reference to one of the complainants.
Last month, the complainant testified that she was picked up in a minibus taxi in Craighall, Joburg, while on her way to church. She told the court that after she was raped, she was pushed out of a moving vehicle.
On Monday, Rodgers Makhubela, 26, was cross-examined in case number 7 by state advocate Arveena Persad.
Makhubela insisted that he picked up the complainant on Rivonia Road after spotting her in a crowd of prostitutes as “the one who will make me happy”.
When Persad put to him that the complainant was in fact on her way to church, he responded with a dismissive huff and said: “Prostitutes don’t go to church.”
Makhubela has maintained that he had consensual sex with nine out of the 10 complainants. In one case where he admitted to the rape, he claimed his father Booi, 50, had forced him to rape and rob the complainants.
Asked why the women would accuse him of rape, Makhubela said they were angry because his condom had burst “during the heat of passion”.
In case number 7, he said the complainant had initially charged him R90, but later demanded R150 because he didn’t use a condom.
The father and son accused are facing 39 charges, including 17 of rape. They have pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Their alleged modus operandi included picking up women in a minibus taxi and promising to drop them off at various destinations. The women would later be robbed, assaulted and raped.
The Star