Durban court sentences rapist to life imprisonment

The Durban Regional Court has sentenced Mxolisi Qasha (36) to life imprisonment for the rape of a 30-year-old woman, in February 2019, in the Sydenham area.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the sentence and commends the work done by the prosecution and the SAPS.

“We hope that sentences of this nature have the necessary deterrent effect,” says Natasha Kara, the regional spokesperson for the directors of public prosecutors in KZN.

According to Kara, Qasha pulled a knife on his victim after an altercation involving Qasha and the victim’s friend.

“On the day of the incident, the complainant was with her friend when Qasha approached them. He started assaulting her friend, accusing her of calling him a ‘Mpondo’. When the complainant realised that Qasha spoke isiXhosa like her, she intervened, hoping to appease the situation, and asked her friend to run away,” explains Kara.

“Qasha then pulled out a knife and asked the complainant to go with him back to his house. There he raped her three times before letting her go. She immediately reported this to her sister, and they went to the police. Qasha was arrested shortly after as the complainant was able to identify him,” continues Kara.

She states the regional court prosecutor, Buyile Sikhosana, used DNA evidence that directly linked Qasha to the offence. Sikhosana also submitted a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the complainant and facilitated by court preparation officer Nondumiso Nyembe.

“In her statement, she said that she had to leave her job and go back to her home province as she is still afraid of Qasha. She is also fearful of being alone and has constant flashbacks of the incident. Qasha was sentenced accordingly, and the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm,” concludes Kara.