After her ordeal, the man dragged her to a graveyard, where he left her.
The Madadeni Regional Court has sentenced 34-year-old Siyabonga Christopher Xulu to life and five years in prison for the kidnapping and rape of a woman in the Osizweni area near Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Siyabonga Christopher Xulu appeared in the Madadeni Regional Court on Tuesday, where the sentence was handed down.
Kidnapping and rape
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the crime was committed in June 2019.
Ramkisson-Kara said prior to the incident, Xulu had gone to attend a party at a neighbouring homestead.
“She [the victim] left the party in the early hours of the morning of the incident and met Xulu and two other men on her way home. She recognised Xulu as someone from her neighbourhood, but the other two men were unknown to her.
“They grabbed her and dragged her to an open field where the two unknown men left her alone with Xulu. Xulu tried to undress the complainant, and due to her resistance, he punched and strangled her, eventually overpowering her.
“Having subdued the complainant, he then raped her twice. Thereafter, he dragged her to a graveyard where he left her. Once she regained consciousness, the complainant went to a nearby homestead and reported her ordeal,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
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Arrest
Ramkisson-Kara said the woman was taken to the Madadeni Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medico-legal assistance.
“The accused was arrested after he was linked by DNA and positively identified by the complainant. Since the complainant could not identify the two men who had participated in the kidnapping along with Xulu, they were not found.
“During the state’s case, Prosecutor Zama Zikalala led the testimonies of the complainant, the first report, as well as the doctor who had conducted the medical examination on the complainant. The evidence of the J88 form and the positive DNA results also formed part of the state’s case,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
Trial
In her evidence, the woman told the court that following the incident, she had become distrustful of men.
She said that she has suffered physical injuries and psychological trauma because of the incident.
Sexual offences
Ramkisson-Kara said Xulu was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and five years imprisonment for kidnapping.
“The sentences will run concurrently, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
“Curbing the scourge of sexual offences and gender-based violence is an organisational priority for the NPA, and we remain resolute in our fight for justice on behalf of the victims of crime,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
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