Court convicts Mathe of rape, attempted murder

Judgement continues on Wednesday against serial rapist and notorious prison escapee Annanias Mathe, who has already been convicted of 51 crimes.

Judge Geraldine Borchers convicted Mathe in the high court in Johannesburg on Tuesday on 51 charges, which included five of rape, five of attempted rape and two of attempted murder, the Star reported.

Borchers acquitted Mathe on two counts of rape, one of indecent assault and two of corruption.

She said Mathe’s rape victims were career women whose lives were nearly destroyed as a result of the rapes. Some struggled to have normal relationships with men, while others emigrated.

One woman’s successful advertising company crumbled after the attack and she could no longer support her child.

His first rape victim was an 18-year-old virgin who had to change her job as occupational therapist because she could not work with male patients, said Borchers.

Borchers is expected to make her findings on more charges against Mathe on Wednesday, which include two more rape charges.

Mathe is facing 71 charges ranging from rape to house robbery and animal cruelty.

The cases against him were reported in Rustenburg and Lichtenburg in North West, Thabazimbi in Limpopo and several locations in Gauteng.

The Mozambican national made headlines when he escaped from the Pretoria C-Max Prison, regarded as the most secure in the country, in November 2006. He was captured the following month.

Mathe had also made an earlier successful escape from Johannesburg Prison.

In February, he pleaded guilty to two charges of escaping from prison and was convicted for the two counts. He pleaded not guilty to the other 69 charges against him.—Sapa