CAPE TOWN: An Eastern Cape man will be spending his life behind bars, after he was sentenced to life imprisonment, in the Sterkspruit Regional Court on Friday, for raping a 14-year-old boy.
Lunga Rashaga, 49, was convicted of the heinous crime on Thursday.
According to evidence before the court, on January 7, 2017, Rashaga was attending a traditional ceremony of a 14-year-old boy, in the area of Bamboespruit Village, near Sterkspruit.
The court heard how Rashaga lured the 14-year-old boy and his older brother to his home under the pretext that they were to fetch a special kind of tobacco, that would make them even more drunk, as they had run out of traditional beer at that time.
The trio left and, when the brother left to relieve himself, the court heard that Rashaga locked the door, overpowered the 14-year-old boy, and raped him.
When the boy’s brother returned, Rashaga lied and said he had sent the boy to the shop to purchase airtime. He refused to open the door.
The older sibling became suspicious and alerted his grandmother.
The door was forcefully opened and the boy was found with his mouth gagged. He stated that he was raped.
Rashaga was subsequently arrested, but was soon released on bail.
When the matter was to be heard at the regional court, Rashaga absconded and a warrant of arrest was issued for him by the court.
He was arrested in December 2020, where he was remanded in custody until the finalisation of the matter.
Rashaga pleaded not guilty to the charge of rape, and claimed his neighbours had created a story because they disliked him.
State prosecutor advocate Loyiso Methuso led the victim and his grandmother’s evidence pertaining to the crime.
During sentencing, the court stated it could find not substantial or compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence for raping a minor.
Regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Luxolo Tyali said it welcomed the sentence handed down by the court.
“The NPA welcomes the sentence, with the hope that it clearly demonstrates that – even if rape is committed against a male – the perpetrator will be prosecuted and punished accordingly,” Tyali said.
IOL