Durban – A man, whose accomplice is yet to be traced, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2022 rape of a woman in Inanda.
The Ntuzuma Regional Court has sentenced Bonisile Cele, 29, to life imprisonment life for the rape of a 30-year-old woman in the Inanda area in June 2022.
KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said that on the day of the incident, the victim was with her friend when they were approached by Cele and another man. The friend fled, leaving the complainant with the two men.
“Cele’s co-conspirator assaulted the complainant, and they took her to his home. There they raped her. She managed to escape and went to the police. She was taken to the Phoenix Thuthuzela Care Centre, where she received medical and psycho-social assistance. The men were tracked by police two months later. While Cele was arrested, his co-conspirator escaped and is still to be traced,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
During the trial, regional court prosecutor Lisa Abrahams led the testimonies of the complainant, her friend, and the doctor. Abrahams also submitted a victim impact statement, compiled by the complainant, and facilitated by court preparation officer Princess Mlangeni.
In her statement, the complainant said the incident had left her with permanent mental and physical scars. She said she was still traumatised and that Cele and his co-conspirator had ruined her life.
“Cele was sentenced accordingly, and the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
Meanwhile, in August, the DA said KZN – and particularly eThekwini – was victim to ever-increasing levels of criminality, with Inanda and uMlazi being South Africa’s murder and rape capitals. In KZN, an average of 17 people are murdered and 21 people are raped daily.
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