The Witness

The Witness: "Woman relives rape ordeal"
A 51-YEAR-OLD woman who was robbed, raped and subjected to repeated sexual assaults in her Scottsville home by a young assailant wielding a carving knife in April 2008, told the high court in Pietermaritzburg yesterday that more than a year later she still has nightmares about the attack.

The woman, who remained composed, described how she pleaded with her attacker for her life throughout her two-hour ordeal and begged him not to stab her.

Once, as she pleaded with him, he responded that he “felt like murdering someone”.

There were times he spoke to her, asking personal questions like whe­ther she was married and if she had a boyfriend. The woman said she thought the attack was premeditated because it emerged, for example, that the rapist knew exactly what car her boyfriend drove and when he had last visited her.

She told the court that throughout the man was “in control” and seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Twice he made her take a bath after raping her, and also made her wash the bed sheets. While she was in the bath he stood next to her holding the knife.

He spoke good English and she got the impression he had a “good education”, she testified.

The victim identified 20-year-old accused Sanele Nhlankanipho Shezi of Scottsville as her assailant.

She previously pointed him out during a police identity parade when she requested that he be made to shave off a moustache he had grown, so that she could properly identify him by a distinguishing white pigmentation mark above his top lip.

The victim said the ordeal started after she spilled some coffee and went into the back yard to fetch a mop.

Shezi accosted her with a carving knife. He slapped her, forced her back inside and demanded money. He made her empty her handbag on to the dining table and then put her cash, along with her bank card and pin number, into his jeans pocket.

When they entered her bedroom he immediately told her to switch on the television, turn up the sound and lie on the bed. He then started raping her.

The woman said he eventually left after tying her hands behind her back with the telephone cord and gagging her with a scarf. He locked the bedroom.

After freeing her hands, she first barricaded the door with bedroom furniture before pressing the panic button in case he was still in the house. She then screamed for help through her bathroom window and alerted neighbours. They and the police had to kick open the locked bedroom door.

The woman told Judge Achmat Jappie and two assessors that after her terrifying ordeal she felt unable to return to her home and went to stay with friends. She could not even bring herself to go home to fetch clothing or personal items unless someone accompanied her.

She said she sold the house after three months.

She testified that she was independent before the attack, but since then has been too afraid to go out in the evening to visit people.

She has had counselling, but still sometimes has nightmares.

Shezi pleaded guilty to six counts of rape, but denied two other rape allegations, stating he “could not remember” these alleged acts, as well as a charge of sexual assault. He also pleaded not guilty to robbery with aggravating circumstances.

‘

he told me he felt like murdering someone. Rape survivor


Posted by chantel on 01 Sep 2009
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woman relives rape ordeal
bring back the death penalty!!

Posted by Neville on 01 Sep 2009
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Woman Raped
If the accussed is found guilty hang the bastard.

Maybe a better punishment is to hand him over to a men's group against rape of woman.

His admiting of rape proves this thing is not human

It is a pity he didn't perform his rape in a Muslim country.

The court must act harshly in this matter because rape is becoming a national sport in this country.

Posted by Anonymous on 01 Sep 2009
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This person should be subjected to the same ordeal. Give him to the community and let them sort him out as the goverment cannot. Hang him up by his private parts in a public place!!!! Then leave the rest to the community.

The Witness

The Witness: "Residents cry foul"
FOLLOWING a report in The Witness about how home owners in Pietermaritzburg are struggling to pay increased bills for electricity and rates, more residents have called to voice their frustrations. These are some of the responses posted on the Witness website:

•“It seems to me the municipality is only targeting certain areas. My house value has escalated from R400 000 to R800 000. If the municipality believes my house is worth so much, by all means they can pay me that amount and take my house. Furthermore, the consultants in charge of valuations have never been to my area, let alone to my house.”

•“It would be interesting to know exactly where our money is going. Our streets are disgusting and there is very little one can do when phoning the municipality as the staff appear to lack skills in client relations. To solve this problem, perhaps each residential area should be given the money and the responsibility of cleaning up. That way, we know that our money is not going into the pockets of those who are doing nothing but feathering their own nests.”

•“What the city council has done is despicable and immoral. To raise rates and electricity tariffs substantially in the middle of a global recession is heartless.”

•“We are going to see more property and car repossessions in the near future. Responsible governments around the world are doing their best to shield consumers from the harsh effects of the recession, but our greedy lot are going for the kill. How shameful.”

•“Something is drastically wrong here. We live in a country that receives among the most sunlight hours in the world, meaning solar energy is just waiting to be used, freely. I have seen many developing countries subsidise the installation of such panels. Of course, municipalities are concerned about the expected reduction of revenues associated with this and therefore there is no encouragement for it. Maybe we need to be thinking more innovatively about this politically and economically, let alone environmentally. Why are we waiting for something that’s ultimately inevitable? Its only our mindset that’s holding us back …” — WR.

The Witness

The Witness: "City’s cash flow crisis
31 Aug 2009"
THE Msunduzi Municipality is on the verge of a financial crisis.

This is evident in a report written by acting municipal manager Phil Mashoko, which was tabled at last Wednesday’s full council meeting and then suddenly withdrawn at the insistence of council speaker Alpha Shelembe.

Well-placed sources told The Witness that the reason for the sudden withdrawal of the report is that it contains a confidential item about the municipality’s cash flow crisis that was not to be discussed in the presence of the media.

When Mashoko attempted to present the report, Shelembe cut him off and said discussion of the report would be delayed. When DA councillor Bill Lambert asked why “such a good report” is being delayed, Shelembe said there are certain aspects that need to be discussed by the executive commitee (Exco) first.

According to the report, which The Witness now has in its possession, the municipality’s cash flow position is a cause for serious concern.

“… the cash flow position of this municipality is not as healthy as it should be. As at 30 June 2009, the cash position decreased from R256 million to R125 million. As at 25 August 2009, the cash balance position stood at R100 million.”

The report goes on to say that although the municipality’s monthly collection rate is at 75%, it still needs to improve its cash position.

The cash reserves were replenished on August 20 by the municipality’s chief financial officer, Roy Bridgmohan, by “drawing down the long-term loans granted in the 2008/09 financial year”.



Local financial fundis are baffled at how the city’s cashflow could drop by R150 million in just two months, from the beginning of July 2009 to the end of August. They say that councillors have every right to expect a full and detailed explanation on how this has happened and as financial experts, they too are curious. This is more so as the report states that the average collection rate for money owing to the municipality stands at 75% over a 30 day period, which is not a critical scenario. These experts believe that the municipality has to become a lot more imaginative in how it draws up the budget and believes more needs to be done to grow the city’s rates base to enhance the city’s coffers..

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Posted by anon on 31 Aug 2009
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GIVE THE COUNTRY BACK TO THE NATS.EVEN THE BLACKS WOULD BENEFIT

Posted by ANONYMOUS on 31 Aug 2009
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WE ALL KNOW WHERE THE MONEY IS PILLING UP!

ON A OTHER NOTE IN THE NORTHDALE AREA THERE WAS NO ELECTRICITY FROM THURSDAY NITE AND ONLY RETURNED ON SATURDAY @ 3:PM I CANT BELIVE THAT THERE WAS NOTHING SAID ABOUT THIS AND THE MUNICIPALITY WANTS US TO PAY OUR LIGHTS & RATES ON THE DUE DATE.LET ME NOT SAY HOW MUCH THAT CAME TO THIS MONTH.I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE BACK THE WHITES TO RUN THE COUNTRY WE WOULD BE MUCH SAFER

Posted by Anonymous on 31 Aug 2009
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This municipality has probably the largest inflow of cash that it has ever had, yes mismanagement appears to be high on the agenda. WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE??