The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) has lauded a combined total of 16 life sentences and 110 years imprisonment handed to five gang members for the rape of a Jouberton, Kleksdorp mother and her three daughters.
“The harsh sentence will serve as a deterrent and send a strong message to perpetrators of heinous sexual violence that there is no place in our society for those who violate, defile, and abuse women and children in the sanctuary of their homes,” Sanco national spokesman Jabu Mahlangu said.
Mahlangu commended police who carried out the investigation and the prosecutor for the successful prosecution. He urged communities to unite in intensified action against rape and gender-based violence.
“Women, girl children, including the elderly, must feel safe in the sanctuary of their homes and free to walk their streets as well as neighbourhoods at any time of day without looking over their shoulders in fear of being victims of vile and despicable acts,” Mahlangu said.
According to North West police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, the Gauteng North High Court sitting in Klerksdorp had established that the accused, aged between 20 and 30, had on August 22, 2015 kicked in the door and gained access to the house where they found a 50-year-old mother asleep with her children.
“The accused, who were armed with knives, had ordered the mother to undress and one of them raped her. She was taken to the bedroom where the accused gang raped her together with her three daughters, including a six-year-old minor,” Mokgwabone said.
The incident occurred in front of her two sons who were threatened with knives. They left after taking household goods, including cosmetics, clothes, and a cellphone to the value of R6000.
“The matter was reported to the police who worked hard and arrested the first three accused and charged them for house robbery and rape,” he said.
The convicted gangsters, members of the “Dog for money” gang, were also linked to a case of theft in extension 14 in which they had stolen a school bag and a pair of shoes belonging to a school pupil.
– African News Agency (ANA)
