A VILJOENSKROON PASTOR SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR RAPE
LUTENDO LIVHEBE – MUDAU. BLOEMFONTEIN: Viljoenskroon Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 40-year-old pastor from Rammolotsi Township to life imprisonment after he was convicted of raping a 50-year-old woman several times. Magistrate Sbongile Mathambeka sentenced Office Samson Choniswa to an additional five years for kidnapping, four years for theft and another five years for assault with an intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
On 31 August 2020, the complainant was at the hiking spot, trying to get transport to Johannesburg, after burying her mother. Choniswa told the complainant that he can organise a transport for her to Johannesburg, but they first must go to his house and the complainant agreed. He told her, at the house, that he wants her to be his wife, but she refused. He refused to let her go and kept her in the house for eight months against her will. He raped her several times and even assaulted her. He took her cellular phone and R1800 cash.
The complainant managed to escape on 11 March 2021, when he asked her to get food from his sister’s house by hiding in the neighbour’s house. On 12 March 2021, she hiked to Potchefstroom Police Station where she reported the case to the police.
In court, Choniswa denied raping the complainant and claimed that the act was consensual. He said it was the complainant who came to him asking to be his wife but the State Prosecutor, Siphokazi Tunzi, told the court that the injuries sustained by the complainant are an indication that she was held against her will.
In aggravation, Tunzi told the court that the accused failed to show that substantial and compelling circumstances exist for imposition of a lesser sentence and request the court to sentence Choniswa to life imprisonment for rape.
Magistrate Mathambeka then sentenced Choniswa to life imprisonment for rape, five years for kidnapping, four years for theft and another five years for assault with intent to cause to grievous bodily harm. Choniswa will effectively serve life imprisonment after the court ordered the sentences to run concurrently. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
