His accomplices ”forced” him to have sex with a dead woman, Ncamile Mantashe (28) told the Grahamstown High Court on Wednesday.
Mantashe was testifying against Caswell Nkanunu (26) and Sibongile Ncapayi (36), who stand accused of raping, murdering and robbing a 47-year-old woman in her home in December 2004.
Appearing before Judge Jeremy Pickering and two assessors, Mantashe testified that he and Nkanunu went to Ncapayi’s house at 4pm on the afternoon of the crime.
”We all went to a local tavern and started drinking. They [Nkanunu and Ncapayi] were talking about money owed to them for some building they had done.
”Later, at about 7pm, we went to the woman’s house and Caswell knocked on the door, then he kicked it in and we all went inside.
”I saw the deceased. I did not know her. She was wearing a nightie. It was dark and Sibongile struck a match and lit a candle.”
He told the court the woman was ”in shock” and asked what was going on.
”Caswell had a knife. It was a fish knife with a wooden handle. He grabbed the woman, there was a struggle and she fell to the floor next to her bed. Then Caswell raped her.”
At the time, Ncapayi was searching the house, collecting items and putting them in a bag.
”Sibongile then raped the woman and strangled her at the same time. She was screaming and kicking her legs. It did not take long, then she stopped.
”Caswell said I must rape the woman. I did not want to, but he took out his knife and said he was going to stab me.
”So I raped her. I saw she was no longer alive. She was not breathing and she was not moving. She was dead,” Mantashe told the court.
The trial continues. — Sapa