Njabulo Sibeko found himself in hot water in 2014 after being falsely accused of rape.
At the time, he and his cousin stood accused of raping a girl with mental health problems
When the police arrived, they questioned the two, stating they had raped the girl before Easter in 2014.
“They took us to holding cells at Rabasotho Police Station, where we hoped to spend the night and appear in court the following day,” he said.
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Sibeko added that because the SAPS arrested him over a long weekend, he spent a week in the holding cells.
“After Easter, they took us to the local magistrate’s court, and from there, they took us to the juvenile section at Modderbee Correctional Services .”
The accused were held there for another week until their bail application.
“The following week, we were granted bail and attended our court cases from 2014 to 2017.
“On September 5, 2017, we were found guilty of rape and taken to modderbee prison and later transfered to Leeuwkop prison in mid 2019 until our release in 2021.”
He said their lawyer tried to speak to the magistrate, but his requests were denied.
In November of that year, the court sentenced the two, handing Sibeko multiple life sentences.
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“The victim claimed I raped her from 2011 until 2014 at her grandmother’s house.”
He said his sentences included life for taking advantage of a person with mental problems and another for bringing a friend to take advantage of the victim.
“No DNA samples were taken from us or the victim.”
Sibeko and his friend remained in prison from 2017 to May 2021.
“We appealed the matter with the higher court. The evidence gathering identified foul play.”
Sibeko said he was numb when the court delivered his sentence.
“When the court sentenced me, I had no feelings. I had accepted my fate and had no desire to express my feelings to people who did not care.
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“Even when in prison, I didn’t eat or do anything. I would wake up, be counted in the line, and return to my cell. I’d take my lunch and give it to someone else,” Sibeko said.
Sibeko said that over time, he chose to face reality and accept what happened, never losing hope.
“I believed I would overcome the darkness, even though the justice system failed me. My family’s support would always pick me up and give me hope that I still stood a chance.”
The court overturned Sibeko’s sentence, and he and his friend were released.
“I was happy when I left. There was such relief. I felt free. I was so happy I cried, and to this day, I still watch the video of us being released,” he said.
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Sibeko said he has since healed from the internal wounds that caused him to finish his teenage life in prison.
He now uses his story to educate young adults about the dangers of being inside prison and how it affects one’s mentality.
Sibeko volunteers at the You Are Not Alone (YANA) Foundation, where he works as a motivational speaker to ensure the youth do not experience the journey he did.
“The magistrate’s courts should not depend on hearsay. My story did not get a chance for investigation.
“They took no DNA from us. There were many holes in the case, but they ignored them. The system failed innocent teenagers.
“The magistrate’s courts need to work harder to ensure justice prevails, and proper investigations completed to ensure the accused perpetrators get imprisoned for things they did, not on hearsay evidence.”
