Cape Town - A 24-year-old Mpumalanga man has been sentenced to life imprisonment and an additional seven years for raping and assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
Witness Solly Ngomane was convicted and sentenced in the Nelspruit Sexual Offences Court.
The provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Monica Nyuswa, said Ngomane carried out his crime on the evening of May 25, 2018.
On the night of the incident, the victim was leaving her parental home to meet her boyfriend. While walking, she came across Ngomane. He stood in front of her, blocking her path.
Ngomane dragged his victim to a nearby abandoned house where he strangled her and bit off her tongue.
He gave her a bottle of love potion to drink, ordered her to undress and then raped her.
The court was also shocked to hear that after raping his victim, Ngomane spent the night with her and, the next day, took her to a nearby river to wash.
When the victim got home the morning after her horrendous ordeal, she woke her mother and, using sign language, asked her for pen and paper so she could write down what had happened to her.
Her parents accompanied her to the crime scene and found the piece of her tongue on the ground.
They took it with them to Themba Hospital where the woman received medical and psychosocial assistance.
The incident was reported to the police and Ngomane was arrested shortly afterwards.
Ngomane had pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations.
In a victim impact statement, the victim told the court how the incident had left her traumatised and embarrassed.
The magistrate found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.
He sentenced Ngomane to life imprisonment for rape and seven years imprisonment for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
“The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the successful finalisation of the matter and applauds the good work done by the prosecution and investigating team.
“It affirms our commitment to curbing the scourge of gender-based violence against women and children,” Nyuswa said.