GRASKOP – The trial of a man and woman from Masoyi who allegedly committed 49 counts of rape and assault at an initiation school, was transferred to the Graskop Circuit Court where it resumed this week. After medical evidence corroborated the state’s version, the state proceeded with closing arguments to conclude their case.
Mr Johan Jabulani Mlombo and Ms Sister Mapalese Khoza are charged with the rape and assault of 21 attendants (aged nine to 17) to their initiation school in Masoyi. These acts were allegedly committed during August 2012 and their High Court trial commenced on March 2. Both accused maintain that they are innocent.
Read more – It was not rape, we were blessing our students
A 17-year-old partially sighted witness was first to testify. She said that she and the other girls were obliged to stay there for a minimum of three months. “My parents wanted to remove me from the initiation school, but Khoza refused as he said that they still owed him initiation fees. They also said that we would go insane, should we try to escape.” She testified that the girls were forced to perform hard labour such as fetching firewood and carrying containers with water. “When I refused, Gogo Khoza hit me. She used an initiation stick called a lesothi.” She testified that she was taken into a dark room where Mlombo raped her.
Her version correlated with that of a 12-year-old girl who was aged nine at the time of the alleged incidents. The 12-year-old girl testified that Khoza directed her to a dark room. “I was wearing my skirt and covered myself with a blanket. I heard Mlombo’s voice instructing me to come to him. He instructed me to lie on the floor with my blanket and to remove my skirt. What I did was just to pull it up.” He sprinkled water on her body and then rubbed her private parts.
Read a full report on her testimony: This is how I was sexually assaulted
When the trial resumed on Monday, nurse Mr Johnson Nkosi, testified about the girls’ medical condition. Nkosi was present when they were examined at Themba Hospital after being rescued from the school. According to state advocate Ms Sasabona Ngobeni, the state then summarised evidence led before closing their case on Wednesday.
