By BAKANG MOKOTO
Two men sentenced to life imprisonment after finding guilty of rape by the Northern Cape High Court on Thursday. Katlego Marake (27) and his accomplice, Ratanang Seikaneng (26).
According to the Northern Cape police spokesperson, Capt Olebogeng Tawana said the incident took place at Glenred Village near Kuruman back in June 2011.
“A 17-year-old girl was walking home accompanied by her male friend and they were accosted by three men. These men assaulted the man who accompanied the victim and in the event, they dragged the girl to the nearby yard where they took turns raping her.
“After raping the victim, they left her fighting for her life. The girl managed to gain her strength and walked home to seek help. The accused were arrested after being pointed out by the victim,” Tawana said.
He further said the victim’s testimony before the court and forensic evidence which was collected by the investigating officer had positively linked the accused to the crime of rape.
Tawana added that the third accused died while the trial was on-going. He said the deceased was unfortunate that he could not face jail-term.
“The Northern Cape Police Management welcomed life jail term handed down to the accused. It also commended the investigating officer, Sergeant Nowalaza for meticulous investigative work and continued to applaud the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Justice Department for their co-operation in ensuring that justice was served,”
The Guardian 