A 29-year old man from eBhubesini in Ermelo, Ntokozo Seewater Simelane, was sentenced in Ermelo Regional Court to 55 years’ imprisonment for rape and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Simelane raped three women around Ermelo between 2014 and 2015.
He pleaded guilty to the crimes and was convicted on three counts of rape, two counts of robbery and theft and another two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Ms Monica Nyuswa, regional spokesperson for the DPP Mpumalanga, said in the press release that his method of operation was to break into his victims’ houses, threaten them with an unknown object and then rape them.
He would sometimes rob them of their cell phones and cash.
In 2015, a 40-year-old woman was at her home when Simelane broke into her house and threatened her. She fainted.
Simelane raped her while she was unconscious.
When she regained consciousness, she was naked and noticed that her cell phone was taken.
The woman sought help from her neighbours and was taken to the doctor where DNA samples were taken.
Simelane was also positively linked to other crimes he had committed previously.
The state handed in the victims’ impact statements and the medical reports. Prosecutor Chané Rothman argued to the court that Simelane pleaded guilty due to a solid case that links him with the DNA.
She pointed out the number of rape cases dealt with on a daily basis in the courts and the impact it has on society.
Simelane was sentenced to 55 years’ imprisonment and the court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, with the effective sentence being 30 years’ imprisonment.
