'Intense lust made me rape Jeanette Walker'

By Baldwin Ndaba

A rapist committed his crime because he was overcome by lust, then murdered his victim to prevent her identifying him.

This evidence was given in mitigation of sentence by probation officer Jenny de Lange in the trial of Khamusi Shandukani in the Johannesburg High Court on Monday.

Shandukani initially pleaded not guilty to raping, kidnapping, robbing and murdering Jeanette Walker on March 7 last year, but later changed his plea to guilty.

Shandukani worked as a security guard in a townhouse complex where Walker and her husband Rob lived. The two had been married for four months at the time of the attack.

On that day, Walker had given Shandukani a lift after he had completed his day's work. Her remains were found at Farmall near Honeydew, north of Johannesburg, a few days later.

During his court appearances, Shandukani escaped from lawful custody, a crime to which he has also pleaded guilty.

The court heard that Shandukani changed his plea to guilty when the state was due to lead overwhelming evidence against him.

On Monday, De Lange said Shandukani had confessed to her that he had "a chronic desire to have a sexual encounter with Walker when she offered him a lift".

De Lange said Shandukani then gave in to his lust and kidnapped Walker before driving her in her car to a deserted place, where he raped and killed her.

"The accused claimed that his intense feelings of lust and being in control served as an intense drive in the execution of the crime.

"His motivation to kill the victim was a deliberate attempt not to be identified by the victim and avoid prosecution," De Lange said.

Walker's parents did not attend the trial until Monday when her mother, Sandra Daw, came to listen to the proceedings.

In her recommendation, De Lange asked that Shandukani be imprisoned.

Shandukani chose not to address the court in mitigation of sentence. He was due to be sentenced on Monday.

On Monday his lawyer, Sindisani Hlazo, conceded that the minimum sentencing laws of 1997, which recommend life sentences for rape and murder, applied in Shandukani's case.

However, he appealed to the court that all other sentences run concurrently with the main count of rape.

Prosecutor Hein van der Merwe strongly argued for life sentences on the counts of rape and murder as well as the robbery charge.

"The court heard evidence that he was offered lifts by other motorists and he refused. One witness said the accused told him that he was waiting for his girlfriend - the deceased," Van der Merwe said.

"The woman was defenceless and helpless. She pleaded with him not to kill her. In spite of her pleas, the accused shot and killed her."