PRETORIA - The Pretoria regional court has sentenced two Mamelodi men, Aubrey Mukoneni, 28, and Thabang Muswe, 29, to two life sentences for taking turns raping a 43-year-old mother who had gone out to look for her son after hearing gunshots at a pub.
North Gauteng regional spokesperson for the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Lumka Mahanjana, said the two were convicted on two counts of rape and assault with intent to cause the grievous body harm.
“On 02 August 2018, a woman heard gunshots nearby a pub where her son was working at around 3am. She went to investigate and also check at the pub if her son was not injured,” Mahanjana explained.
The concerned mother found someone else injured at the scene, and community members to assist the injured person to get home while she searched for her son.
“Mukoneni and Muswe came running towards the crowd, and the woman could not run. The men assaulted her with a sharp object and she lost consciousness. The accused dragged her to the nearby veld that was by the river and raped her, taking turns until she regained consciousness,” said Mahanjana.
A man who was collecting waste by the river witnessed the woman’s ordeal and called on community members for help.
“The community members apprehended the two men and assaulted them. The men were taken to hospital and that is where the victim identified them as the perpetrators,” said Mahanjana.
Muswe was also linked to the incident through DNA samples, and the two were arrested. They have been in custody since.
“Prosecutor Mpho Monyane told the court that there are no substantial and compelling circumstances that will make the court deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence,” said Mahanjana.
“She further reminded the court about how the incident happened, how the woman was raped while trying to assist an injured man, and also asked the court to consider the gender-based violence pandemic the country is currently facing when giving a sentence.”
The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the sentence and applauded all stakeholders, including community members for collaborating to ensure the offenders were brought to book.
IOL