
Mbombela – Two Mpumalanga men were sentenced to life in jail by the Nelspruit Regional Court on Friday for repeatedly raping a 20-year-old woman.
One of her attackers claimed she laid the charge after he did not pay her the R500 he argued she had demanded from him for sex, a Sapa correspondent reported.
Sphamandla Sinki Mlimi, 26, from Newskom Trust near White River, and Bhekumuzi Devine Maphosa, 25, from Emalahleni, were arrested in 2008.
Both pleaded not guilty. They testified they had consensual sex with the woman separately on June 29, 2008, at Maphosa’s parental home in Newskom.
Mlimi testified he was in a romantic relationship with the woman. He said on the night of June 28, 2008, he met her at the Tsotsi Tavern.
“We already had sex once previously and, that night, I asked her to come with me so we can have sex again. She agreed to go with me to Maphosa’s parental home and we left the tavern after midnight in the company of Maphosa,” he testified.
“At around 6am she demanded R500. I was surprised because she knew I was unemployed. I only gave her R10 for transport. I think she opened the case because I did not pay the R500,” Mlimi testified.
He said that after she opened the case, her mother called him and demanded R15 000 for the victim to drop the charges. He refused to pay.
Maphosa testified that the woman had agreed to sex with him while they were still at the tavern.
“I knew she was Mlimi’s girlfriend, but we spoke secretly about our deal. She agreed she would come to my room after Mlimi was fast asleep.
“When at my parental home, she did come to my room at around 4.30am. We had sex twice. She then demanded R500. But I could afford R200, which she took. I was surprised when police came to arrest me that morning,” Maphosa testified.
In passing sentence, magistrate Willie Wilkens asked why the woman would have implicated the men in such a serious offence. He said the two men attacked her.
“One beat her with a beer bottle on the back of her neck and she was dragged into nearby bushes where they raped her,” he said.
When they heard voices, they covered her mouth, dragged her further and raped her again.
“One of you left and the other pulled her further and raped her again for the third time.”
Wilkens said she impressed the court with her testimony.
“She remembered everything well. She stood firm on her evidence and gave a clear headed version of incidences.”
Wilkens said the victim also testified that after she reported the matter to police the two accused offered her R5000 to drop the charges but she refused to take the money.
Sapa