Second man pleads guilty to gang rape

Independent Newspapers

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Pietermaritzburg - Another man has pleaded guilty to the gang rape of a 24-year-old Pietermaritzburg woman.

Tankiso Mthembu, 24, will be sentenced in the Pietermaritzburg High Court today after pleading guilty yesterday to charges of rape, housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

His accomplice, 26-year-old Khotso Mohlomi, pleaded guilty on Friday and was sentenced to life in prison for the rape, plus 15 years for housebreaking and robbery. Their co-accused, Moexole Xokotwa, 25, pleaded guilty to robbery only.

In pleas before Judge Achmat Jappie, the two men described how on February 21 they had entered the property in Belfort, Pietermaritzburg, where the woman and her mother lived and waited for them to return.

They entered through an open door and, after Mohlomi and Mthembu raped the woman, left with a laptop, iPad, cellphones, a VW Golf and other items, all valued at more than R200 000.

Testifying in aggravation of sentence against Mohlomi last week, the young woman told how she was suffering from depression and had abandoned studying towards her honours degree in psychology this year.

The day after the rape, she and her mother moved to Durban, where they were staying with family. They could not bear to live at home any more.

She was also on antiretroviral drugs and afraid that she might be HIV-positive.

Her 51-year-old mother described feeling guilty for not being able to protect her daughter.

“I have flashbacks and hear her screams. I feel guilty that I was unable to help her. It weighs on me heavily,” she said.

Daily News