The
Lusikisiki Regional Court has sentenced Vuyani Khetshane (34) to three life
imprisonment terms following his conviction on three separate counts of
rape. The court further
sentenced Khetshane to five years for kidnapping but ordered that sentence to
run concurrently with one life sentence.
Khetshane
was arrested on June 9, 2022, after he was linked through DNA to the rapes
committed six years ago.
“On January 3,
2016, the 19-year-old victim had gone to her classmate’s homestead in Jambeni A
Section in Lusikisiki.
“When the classmate was accompanying her back to
her home, they met Khetshane, who volunteered to accompany the victim.”
“The victim
did not know him, but her classmate did. When they reached the home of the
victim, he entered her room and forcefully took the keys and her cellphone
before repeatedly raping her until the following morning, he then left,” said
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.
According to
Tyali, the complainant went to Lusikisiki Police Station to report the incident
and she was then taken to St Elizabeth Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC).
During the
same year, June 9, a 17-year-old victim was coming from a local clinic at the
Luzuphu Location in Lusikisiki.
“On the way
she was stopped by a white vehicle, two men alighted from the vehicle, drew up
knives, and instructed her to get inside the car. There were two other males in
the car, and they drove off in a direction unknown to the victim until they
reached bushes.”
“They
dragged her to the bushes, where all four of them took turns raping her. They
left her there and she managed to walk through the bushes until she found a
nearby homestead. She was then taken to the police station and later taken to
the TCC,” Tyali added
The third
rape incident took place on December 11 2016 when a 13-year-old victim was walking her friend home
at Bomvini Location in Lusikisiki.
They were
approached by a vehicle that offered them a lift. Khetshane was amongst
the occupants in that vehicle.
When the
victim alighted from the vehicle, Khetshane followed her. She tried to run away
but he caught up with her, assaulted and pulled her inside her room where he
raped her at knifepoint and then left. She reported the incident to her
sister who took her to the TCC.
During the
trial, Khetshane pleaded not guilty on all four counts, claiming that all the
victims had consented to have sex with him as they were his girlfriends.
Acting
Regional Court Prosecutor Siyabonga Macebo led evidence of eight witnesses,
including investigating officer warrant officer Zwelithini Gentsane and warrant
officer Thokozani Mquteni, a Forensic DNA Analyst.
He submitted
Victim Impact Statements prepared by Court Preparation Officer Zokhanyo
Ngxishe.
The court found no substantial and compelling circumstances for
deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of life.
Eastern Cape
Director of Public Prosecutions, Barry Madolo, commended all those involved for
their roles in ensuring that justice was served.
