A 32-year-old former Hankey farmworker who was convicted on 16 charges related to a farm attacked in the area last March has been sentenced to life behind bars plus an additional 173 years.
Sebenzile Simane was found guilty of shooting and raping a mother of three in front of her children and also on the other charges that included attempted murder, rape and causing children to witness a sexual offence on Wednesday.
He was also convicted on a 17th charge related to a robbery in Patensie a month earlier.
'It's like a double-edged sword. I'm very happy with the judgment but he did not show any remorse," the woman told reporters outside the High Court on Thursday.
Speaking about facing her attacker over the past few weeks, she said: "I prepared myself psychology to see him and I think it did me so much good to face him and to look him in the eye and say I'm not scared of you anymore".
In passing sentence, Judge Olav Ronaasen described Simane as a ruthless criminal, who in a predatory manner targetted a vulnerable mother and her children in the sanctity of their home.
He said he had shown no remorse throughout the trial despite the overwhelming evidence against him and even in the face of DNA evidence placing him at the crime scene.
Judge Ronaasen said the mother of three was an impressive witness throughout her harrowing two-day testimony during which she detailed how Simane tortured her family for four hours.
The life sentence and the additional 173 years will run concurrently.
