Lesotho men jailed for raping woman (18)
A clinical psychologist told the court that the woman was mentally retarded.
TWO Lesotho nationals, who took turns raping a woman, were sentenced to total of 20 years’ imprisonment.
Eighteen years were for the rape and two years for entering the country without permits.
Natasha Kara, regional spokesman for the Director of Public Prosecutions KwaZulu-Natal, said that Sello Makhethe and Lefu Talasi were sentenced in the Kokstad/Maluti Regional Court last week for the crimes they committed in early January.
The Lesotho nationals, who had entered South Africa illegally, had met an 18-year-old woman who was also walking into the country.
The men walked with the woman until they reached the Matatiele Belford forest where they took turns to rape her.
Since it was in the early hours of the morning and she was alone, the woman continued to walk with the men until they reached a shopping centre in Maluti.
The men were overheard by a local businessman as they discussed their intentions to abandon the traumatised woman.
The businessman rallied a group of community members and the men were arrested. They pleaded not guilty and gave their versions to the court.
The first accused told the court that the intercourse between him and the woman was consensual while the second accused denied having intercourse with the woman.
Regional court prosecutor, Ntandazo Jaca, led the evidence of a doctor who found the complainant’s injuries to be consistent with rape. A clinical psychologist also told the court that the woman was mentally retarded.
During cross examination the men failed to answer questions put to them by the prosecutor and it was evident that their versions were fictitious.
Advocate Moipone Noko, of the DPP KZN found the sentence appropriate and in accordance with the crimes committed. “It is indicative of our on-going fight against sexual offences.”
