Picture: Vryburg rape survivor, Lindiwe Nkgobang
By STAFF REPORTER
Lindiwe Nkgobang said she is grateful after her rapist was sentenced to life imprisonment by Vryburg Regional Court recently. Nkgobang (23) said even though the case dragged for ten years before reaching its completion, she can breathe a sigh of relief.
“I was only 13 years when I was raped. We were chilling with friends from one of the joints in Vryburg when I decided to go home. My friends refused to go and I requested two of the young boys around to accompany me.
“Unfortunately, we came across two gentlemen who chased those boys away. I was left vulnerable as they dragged me to the toilets of an abandoned building and raped me,” she said.
Nkgobang said she was threatened with a knife and she was raped twice by the perpetrators. She said the first man used condom and Dikabelo Masiza who was sentenced to life imprisonment did not use it.
“It was heart-throbbing that the court acquitted the first accused. However, I still maintain that he raped me and I will not rest until he is also found guilty. They assaulted me during the ordeal and the incident has put me through severe depression in my life.
Masiza (32) had previous cases such as robbery, theft and being in possession of drugs. The court instructed that he should be deemed unfit to possess a firearm and his name be included in the sexual offenders’ register.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) regional secretary in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, Justice Dabampe said: “We are happy that Lindiwe has finally found justice after 10 years of trial. Although the other accused was found not guilty, the other one was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
“This is after they raped her ten years ago. Mind you, she was only 13 years old. Indeed, ten long years to victory in Vryburg Magistrate’s Court. Gender-Based Violence (GBV) does not have space in our society.
Dabampe added that the perpetrator has been convicted previously for theft, robbery, and being in possession of drugs and he is a well-known monster that has been terrorising the community for quite some time.”
Meanwhile, Sonke Gender Justice senior strategic advisor, Bafana Khumalo said it is so sad to see men waged a war against women’s bodies. Khumalo said they calling on men to resist patriarchy, change the narrative of what it means to be a man, and treat all women with dignity and respect.
“We call on all men in our country to take a firm stand against GBV and femicide. They need to commit to working as allies with all organisations that are working in this sector. As men, we need to lead from the front in all efforts that seek to heal our land of this scourge.
“Let us support women and girls in all their endeavours as they seek to actualise their dreams of living in a violence-free country. Women should not be afraid to walk freely in the streets,” he said.
The Guardian 