A fragile, tiny, 74-year-old woman stood before Ladysmith Magistrate Visagie on Thursday, February 19, visibly shaken at having to relive the horrific day when she was attacked in her home and brutally raped twice.

Evidence was led by the defence that 20-year-old accused Nkosingiphile Nkosi cannot recall his actions on the day in question, as he had suffered a blackout after using drugs.

Family and local farmers shed tears and held onto one another as the farmer’s wife bravely stood and relived her nightmare of being viciously assaulted and raped at her house in Elandslaagte on February 14 last year.

On that day, a young man visited the farmstead with the intention of hiring a truck to move machinery. However, he couldn’t be helped because the farmer was not at home. She told the court she phoned her husband and then gave the telephone to the man. After the telephonic conversation, the man agreed to return the following day.

However, before leaving, the young man asked the farmer’s wife for some food and she gave him some. After a short time had passed, the family dog started barking inside the house. Realised something was wrong  she contacted the Elandslaagte police. Minutes later, she was attacked by the man.

She told the court how her attacker gagged her with a kitchen cloth and pulled her into a bedroom.

She attempted to fight him off, even though he was holding her at knife-point and saying, “I’ll kill you”.

The clearly traumatised 74-year-old recounted how he pressed her down on the bed and raped her. Shortly afterwards, the young man raped her again. And just when she thought the ordeal was over, the young man pulled her to the living room, demanding money and weapons.
“I took a shopping bag and put everything on the couch. He grabbed a cell-phone, pepper spray and plus-minus R150,” she recalled.

The elderly woman then decided to make a desperate bid for freedom. She managed to escape from her attacker and run to a neighbour’s farm.

In her panic, she got caught in a barbed wire fence and shouted to get her neighbour’s attention, fearing that her attacker might be close behind.

The farmer (neighbour) came to her assistance and calmed her down. She told him what had happened and he immediately activated his Secure SA alarm. Dog Unit (K9) officers and Sharaj Ambulance Services rushed to the farm. By then, her husband had left the work he was doing and also rushed to his wife’s aid. The 74-year-old woman was rushed to a local hospital.

The next day, police investigating the attack made a breakthrough when community members came forward with information about the attacker. He was arrested and positively identified by the victim. Since then, he has been held in custody.

The trial is set to continue on Thursday this week (March 5).

In an exclusive interview with the Ladysmith Gazette, the family said they would like to thank the community of Elandslaagte, Ladysmith and surroundings for the support and friendship during this difficult time. “Irrespective of colour and language, all race groups supported us during my wife’s ordeal,”  said a family spokesperson.