A 29-year-old man from eBhubesini in Ermelo, Ntokozo Seewater Simelane, was sentenced to 55 years imprisonment for rape and robbery with aggravating circumstances by the Ermelo Regional Court.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, this follows his conviction on offences he committed between 2014 and 2015. Simelane raped three women aged between 26 and 40 around Ermelo.
This is after he pleaded guilty to the crimes and was convicted on three counts of rape, two counts of robbery with intent to steal and theft and another two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
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Simelane’s method of operation was to break into his victims’ houses, threaten them with an unknown object and forcefully have sexual intercourse with them. He would sometimes rob them of their valuables like cellphones and cash.
In 2015, a 40-year-old woman was at her home when Simelane broke into her house. He threatened her with an unknown object and she fainted. Simelane then raped her. When she regained consciousness, she was naked and noticed that her cellphone was taken. She reported the incident to her neighbour and was eventually taken to the doctor. DNA samples were taken in respect of this case and Simelane was positively linked to other crimes he had committed previously.
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“The state handed in the victim impact statements and the medical reports. Prosecutor, Chanè Rothman, argued to the court that Simelane pleaded guilty due to a solid case that links him with the DNA. Rothman pointed out the number of rape cases dealt with on a daily basis in courts and the impact on the society,” said NPA spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa.
He was sentenced to 55 years imprisonment. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, the effective sentence being 30 years.
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