DEFENCE lawyer attorney Vusi Segodi told the court that charges of rape against his clients were merely lies.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs director Selby Mogakane (49) and wife Ludres Ngoveni (36) pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape, assault and human trafficking.
Segodi said Mogakane underwent medical treatment from 2018 to last year, as he had a testosterone problem that affected his 4-5 after spinal cord injuries.
“He didn’t rape the victims. He can’t have sexual intercourse anymore,” said Segodi.
He said the couple’s families held a meeting as they were about to divorce because of not having sexual intercourse.
In court, social worker Tiyiselani Nxumalo, Detective Sergeant Norah Dumisa and Sergeant Merilyne Mmonwa had testified that the victims were raped and beaten by the accused.
They told the court that Ngoveni threatened to take them back to Mozambique when they refused to have sex with her husband. Dumisa said during the interview, Ngoveni said the reason for divorcing her husband was because he had a nyatsi.
She said that she interviewed the victims after the arrest of both accused.
“The victim’s mum gave a statement that Ngoveni came to her home in Mozambique, and asked to take them to SA to attend school and look after them.”
