‘BEING raped has changed my life forever.
‘I am afraid of the dark, I have anxiety attacks, depression and cannot sleep.
‘ I am unable to have intimacy and physical contact. My children are seeing a psychologist. It affected my entire family deeply.’
Standing tall, elegant, but fragile, Vanessa, the survivor of a brutal rape and robbery by a Mtubatuba highway gang, faced the men who brutalised her as she told Richards Bay Regional Court Magistrate, Mr Logan Naidoo, how the crime crushed her life.
Vanessa was held hostage for two hours on 1 June 2010 after being ambushed on the N2 near Mtubatuba, when a gang of five dragged a spiked chain across the road, causing her tyres to blow out.
She was thereafter threatened, insulted, repeatedly hit over the head with a gun and finally raped, an ordeal she describes as ‘terror at the maximum’.
A manhunt, lead by Investigating Officer Ryno Louw, finally yielded results with the arrest of three syndicate members and the successful prosecution by Regional Court Prosecutor, Sharon Bux.
Bhekisisa Mbhekiseni Buthelezi (39), Lucky Bheki Ndlovu (37) and Sithembiso Vusi Nkwanyana (36) were convicted earlier this month of robbery with aggravating circumstances, acting in common purpose, theft and fraud.
Nkwanyana was also convicted of rape.
The accused appeared in the Richards Bay Regional Court on Tuesday for sentence, when the prosecution led the evidence of Vanessa as compiled in her Victim Impact Statement.
‘I am afraid of the dark, I have anxiety attacks, depression and cannot sleep’ – Vanessa
Supported by her children and family, she explained how she was emotionally and physically affected, suffering several illnesses, one of which cannot be cured, injuries to her vertebrae and disks and property damage of over R250 000 in uninsured losses, excluding the damage to her vehicle and mounting medical bills. She was luckily declared HIV negative.
Buthelezi and Nkwanyana both have previous convictions for murder. Buthelezi was convicted of robbery and offences under the Arms and Ammunition Act and has been declared unfit to possess a firearm. Ndlovu has previously been convicted of assault.
Buthelezi was released from a 15-year prison sentence when he received a Presidential pardon after serving only six years of his sentence.
In mitigation, he told the Magistrate he had 11 children with five different wives.
Ndlovu fathered five children with three wives, worked as a loan shark and drove a pirate vehicle to earn income.
Nkwanyana fathered two children with different mothers and said he saw no need to be treated for HIV as he was not sick yet.
He told the court that, ‘It is my wish to live my life outside prison like any other person.’
Mr Naidoo said the accused were guilty of one of the most reprehensible crimes he has seen in his 40-year legal career.
He sentenced Buthelezi and Ndlovu to 23 years imprisonment and Nkwanyana to 33 years.
Vanessa said she hoped that the sentencing would finally bring a degree of closure for herself and her family.
