Man jailed 25 years for robbing, raping two sisters

A 26-year-old married man from Inyathi, who broke into a house where two sisters were sleeping, robbed them of their cellphones and money before raping one of them while armed with a machete, was on Wednesday sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Mthokozisi Sibanda was sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbery and another 15 years for rape by
regional magistrate Ms Sibonginkosi Mnkandla.

The incident occurred in June this year when Sibanda forcibly entered the house where the two complainants were sleeping by breaking down the door. Armed with a machete, he threatened to kill them if they did not comply with his demands for cellphones and money. The two victims, fearing for their lives surrendered their cellphones and cash to Sibanda who then ordered them to remove passwords from their phones.

The court heard that Sibanda thereafter demanded to have sex with one of the victims and then force marched her into a corridor where he raped her once. The victims identified Sibanda by his red jacket and white sneakers.

The matter was reported to the police and Sibanda was found in possession of the stolen cellphones and a machete at his residence. In court, he denied the allegations, claiming he had bought the cellphones from someone else. However, his wife testified that he had not spent the night at home on the day in question and had returned with two cellphones and US$40 the following day.

In passing the sentence, Mnkandla said she had taken into account the trauma suffered by the victims and the serious nature of the offences.

She said what was aggravating was that Sibanda used a lethal weapon to threaten his victims.
“The effects of rape extend beyond the act itself; the offender was cruel to the victims. The courts should frown upon such conduct. The offences were committed in aggravated circumstances and the victims are now frightened to live in their own home.

The offender is accordingly sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbery, with three years suspended on condition he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years. He is in addition sentenced to 15 effective years in prison for rape,” said Mnkadla.

Prosecutor Ms Nomthandazo Mafu said Sibanda committed the offence on June 24 at around 11PM when he barged into the victims’ room armed with a machete and a torch demanding cellphones and cash. The victims complied, handing over two cellphones, an Itel and a Huawei and US$45.

“While inside the house, Sibanda demanded sex from the 19-year-old by threatening her with death if she did not comply. He forced her to take a blanket and marched her out of the room into the corridor where he raped her,” Ms Mafu said.