Rape suspect Linda Tshabalala (32) awaits judgement day in custody after three young women strongly testified against him at the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on 31 July. While Gauteng Police continues with their investigations on one rape, Magistrate Simon Radasi is expected to deliver judgement later in August.
Gauteng Police spokesperson Lieutenant Kay Makhubele said, “We are investigating one reported case of rape whereby Tshabalala allegedly raped a 22-year-old. The other two women might have testified in court that they were also raped, but we don’t have their official opened cases against Tshabalala, we only have one.”
According to Lt Makhubele, Tshabalala was arrested at his Johannesburg homestead after the woman reported him. “He has been in custody since,” Makhubele said.
Tshabalala worked as a car security guard in Melville at the time he committed the crime. According to Lt Makhubele, Tshabalala allegedly raped one woman between June and July after luring her to a place where she could not be heard when screaming.
Media reports stated that in court Tshabalala admitted that he had sex with the women, but claimed that the acts were consensual. Prosecutor Lisa Davy and Tshabalala’s defence attorney Leonita Abramowitz already made their final arguments for the his trial.
It was stated in the media reports that the first complainant told the court that Tshabalala and his friend pretended they were taking her to a night club before both raped her, and that she had been intoxicated on the night of the alleged rape. Furthermore, she had waited two weeks to report it because she felt like it was her fault.
The second complainant said Tshababala insisted on walking her home after she had drinks with friends. Along the way they reached a park in Brixton where he allegedly raped her. She said afterwards‚ she walked home and told a friend and her landlord that she was raped.
The third complainant told the court Tshabalala threatened her before raping her. Davy argued that Tshabalala’s versions of the events were not believable. She said the women all displayed signs of trauma and it was strange that the second woman had consensual sex with Tshabalala in a park in the cold when she lives nearby.
