Johannesburg - When Ayanda Skhakhane started becoming overprotective about his girlfriend’s daughters, banning them from playing with other children and locking them in the house, their mother began to worry.
*Silindile was often at work and thought her boyfriend loved the children so much, that he was trying to shield them from harm because they lived in a hostel.
Skhakhane would also lock the children’s bedroom using a padlock and chain at night, saying he did not want people breaking in and raping them.
However, Silindile did not know the real reason he did not want the girls interacting with other children – he did not want anyone finding out that he was preying on them, raping them when their mother was at work or sleeping after coming home exhausted.
“If I could, I would kill him,” the 31-year-old woman said on Wednesday in the Joburg High Court sitting in Palm Ridge, where the rapist was to be sentenced on 10 counts.
Silindile said she felt only disgust towards him.
She moved in with Skhakhane at Mshayazafe Hostel in Thokoza, at the end of 2011.
A few months later, in March 2012, Skhakhane started raping Silindile’s oldest daughter who was 12 at the time.
Since Skhakhane was unemployed, Silindile worked long hours to provide for her family of four, leaving early in the morning and returning in the evening. She also worked over weekends.
Unbeknown to her, as soon as she would leave for work, Skhakhane would not waste any time.
He would start raping her eldest daughter when she returned from school, Skhakhane would call her into the bedroom, play the radio and TV loudly, then violate her.
In the evening, he would have sex with Silindile and when she dozed off, he would go to the children’s room and start raping the girl again.
It is believed that he also drugged her before raping her.
Skhakhane raped the 10-year-old on one occasion.
Some of the people at the hostel were aware of what was going on, but did not know how to alert Silindile to what was happening.
They did not inform the police either. Late in October, another resident became aware that Skhakhane was once again raping the children. He made an anonymous call to the police. Skhakhane was arrested.
Silindile said that while her youngest was fine, the eldest, who was raped repeatedly, had been “damaged” by Skhakhane.
“It is as if she blames me for what happened. She has dropped out of school and is now promiscuous. Ayanda damaged her, because she now thinks sex is okay. He needs to get a life sentence,” she said.
Skhakhane was due to be sentenced on Wednesday, but the matter was postponed to February 3 for a pre-sentencing report to be submitted to court.
*Not her real name
The Star