THE Grahamstown High Court sentenced serial rapist Athenkosi Matyaleni to two life terms and 84 years for raping five women.
His rape spree took place between December 2017 and May 2019, with the youngest victim being 11 years old.
From Molteno, Matyaleni was only 19 when his reign of terror started.
Judge Thami Beshe further sentenced him to 30 years for two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, three for two counts of common robbery and another two for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm “as he hit a woman with a glass bottle on the face during one of his rape incidents,” according to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani.
The state proved that on December 2017 while on her way from one tavern to another at night, a 27-year-old woman was raped by Matyaleni.
“He grabbed and dragged her into the bush. He then drew a knife, threatened her to keep quiet and raped her more than once. He slapped her a number of times on the face and took her cellphone. Afterwards, he freed her and she went to report the incident at a police station,” said Ngcakani.
About three weeks later, a 28-year-old woman was on her way home at night when Matyaleni grabbed her. He dragged her to an outside toilet where he raped and robbed her of her cellphone.
“A community member saw the incident and called the police. When the police vehicle approached, Matyaleni ran away,” added Ngcakani.
In February 2018, a 38-year-old woman was on her way to her boyfriend’s place with her cousin when Matyaleni grabbed her. He hit the cousin with an empty glass bottle on her face and ordered her to leave.
“The bottle broke on her face, leaving her with a wound on her forehead. He then dragged the victim to an empty shack, threatened her with the broken bottle and raped her more than once. He also robbed her of her tracksuit top and cellphone. She escaped and reported the matter to her cousin and boyfriend.”
Three months later while an 11-year-old girl was picking wild fruit in the veld with her friends, Matyaleni appeared with a knife and started chasing the kids. Unfortunately, the young girl fell down and he grabbed her. He took her into the bushes and raped her repeatedly. He left her there, and she went home where she reported the crime.
He was ultimately arrested in May 2019 when his last victim confronted and reported him to the police.
The woman, in her 40s, was on her way home when Matyaleni accosted her and held a screwdriver to her neck. He robbed her of her cellphone and cash, and then raped her. Matyaleni then left, and the victim followed him to a certain house.
“She knocked on the door and confronted him. A few days later she took the police to the house,” said Ngcakani.
During aggravation, Advocate Sharon Hendricks said there were no mitigating factors in Matyaleni’s favour which amounted to substantial and compelling circumstances for the court to deviate from the discretionary minimum sentence.
“The offences were committed over a lengthy period. He preyed on vulnerable women late at night and raped a child in broad daylight,” she said.
Beshe said Matyaleni “posed a serious danger to women and girl children as the light of day did not stop his onslaught on helpless victims”.
She added that courts would never tire in protecting women and children against perpetrators like Matyaleni as they needed to be removed from society.
