SHOWING remorse, robber and rapist Bongumusa Mbho Hadebe (31), apologised to his victims at the Ramsgate High Court recently.
After apologising, the first time offender encouraged his victims to rely on God and pray hard, and get counselling from social workers. Hadebe also asked the court for a second chance.”Whatever happens to me it’s through God’s fate… I deserve it, as I did commit these crimes,” he said.
Hadebe, and his accomplice Bonginkosi Mhlongo (22), from Dumezulu, Port Edward committed crimes of robbery and rape between July and November 2012.
They were arrested by a Margate SAPS task team in Ezinqoleni in January last year.
Judge Jacqueline Henriques sentenced the pair to a total of 270 years’ imprisonment in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday this week.
During a period of five months, the men forced their way into five separate homes, in the Ngcawusheni, Manzamhlophe, Ngamusheni and Nkoneni Wards near Port Shepstone, and raped a number of women, including a teenager.
Hadebe and Mhlongo were charged with 12 counts, including rape, kidnapping, attempted rape and housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Both men have been in custody for the last 16 months.
Judge Henriques sentenced the men to 15 years for each of the 12 counts.
She sentenced Hadebe to 130 years’ imprisonment, however, he will serve a total of 20 years, as his sentences will run concurrently. Mhlongo received a jail term of 140 years, but will effectively serve a jail sentence of 30 years.
Hadebe initially pleaded not guilty, but later had a change of heart, and pleaded guilty to his crimes, while Mhlongo maintained his innocence throughout the trial.
State advocate, Siyabonga Buthelezi, said the men targeted homes occupied by defenceless women and children. He explained that in one case the men had threatened to burn a family’s house down if they screamed or shouted. He said the court heard how a child, whose first sexual experience was rape, has been severely affected by the crime so much so that she hates men, doesn’t enjoy life and is now forced to live apart from her mother.
He said the crimes were pre-planned, as the accused carried weapons, such as a firearm and knife, and wore condoms.
He said the men’s crimes had changed their victims’ lives forever, with some of them even moving out of their homes.
Judge Henriques was very emotional and dried her eyes during judgement, as women and a child had been brutally raped and assaulted.
She praised Brigadier Morris Moodley for personally taking charge of the investigation. “It’s very rare a senior officer puts his life in danger when he makes arrests,” she added.
