By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.co.za
The Pretoria High Court sentenced a Mozambican national, Anselma George Mahumane (35), to two life terms for 2 counts of rape, he was further sentenced to 5 years of direct imprisonment for kidnapping and 3 years of direct imprisonment for assault.
The judge ordered that the sentence of kidnapping and assault should run concurrently with that of life.
The court ordered that his name be added to the national register for sexual offenders.
NPA spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana said Mahumane raped two teenage girls aged 13 and 16 years old from Tsakane, in Ekurhuleni.
She said ,on 04 December 2013, in the early evening, the 13-year-old girl was walking home to Tsakane extension 1, when she was approached by Mahumane at an open space near the fire station.
“He overpowered, strangled, and raped and left her lying on the ground unconscious. After regaining consciousness, she walked home on the way she met with police officers who took her to the police station, to open a case and consult with a doctor.
“Three years later, on 03 December 2016, while the 16-year-old was walking home from the shops, Mahumane and two other men who were never traced, threatened the teenager with a knife and proceeded to rape her by taking turns.
“After they dragged her to a veld and left her there. She reported the matter to the police. Mahumane was arrested and later released in April 2017, after the Magistrate refused a remand for DNA evidence, and the matter was struck off the court roll,” said Mjonondwane.
He was rearrested in 2020, after he committed the same offence of rape and was sentenced to 10 years of direct imprisonment in July 2021.
In this matter, he pleaded not guilty and told the court that he was in a relationship with the 16-year-old complainant.
Mjonondwane said during sentencing proceedings, he asked the court to be lenient and deviate from imposing the prescribed sentence because he did not know the results of his actions.
However, the state Advocate Salome Scheepers told the court that Mahumane was not remorseful, his only worry was that his actions got him arrested.
She further read into the record the victim impact statements (VIS) of both the victims, where the 16-year-old wrote that after the incident she developed an STD which led to one of her ovarian tubes being removed which might make it difficult for her to ever have kids.
“Over and above Scheepers told the court that the seriousness of the offences cannot be overemphasized, Mahumane took the innocence of both children therefore he was a perfect candidate to be removed from society for life,” said Mjonondwane.
In his Judgement, Judge, Ratha Mokgoatlheng said he fully associated himself with the arguments and submissions made by the state, saying Mahumane showed no remorse and did not think about the lives of the children, therefore he cannot find any substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.
“After the sentence, Mahumane through his attorney applied for leave to appeal the sentence in respect of the two life sentences however the NPA successfully opposed the application,” Mjonondwane said.
