A 47-year-old man was given an effective 20 years in prison by the Grahamstown High Court on Tuesday after he was found guilty of rape and housebreaking.
When he convicted Mthethunzima Ndzila Vangeli, of Elliot, of housebreaking with intent to rape, rape and theft, Judge Pieter van der Byl described him as a ”lying and pathetic witness”.
Vangeli had earlier pleaded not guilty and in his plea explanation claimed he was the victim’s ”secret boyfriend”.
The trial court heard that Vangeli was out on parole on a robbery sentence when the crimes were committed.
Van der Byl sentenced Vangeli to 20 years for the rape and five years for theft, but ordered three years of the sentence for theft to run concurrently with the term for rape.
He was found guilty of breaking into the home of his employer and raping his wife on May 13 last year. At the trial, court evidence was led that he had forced the woman to have sex with him, and threatened to kill her.
He was found guilty of stealing a wallet containing R600 in cash, a Nokia cellphone, a blanket and a 750ml bottle of brandy.
In his hour-long judgement, Van der Byl summarised the state’s evidence and said the state had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. ”The two state witnesses, the complainant and the woman she reported the rape to, were honest, reliable and credible witnesses. By contrast, the accused was a lying and pathetic witness.”
Citing Vangeli’s long list of previous convictions, which included five for housebreaking, two for robbery, one for escaping from custody and one for theft, the judge was scathing in his remarks to the accused.
”If I look at your formidable list of previous convictions since you were 23, you have led a continuous life of crime. As a matter of fact, you committed these crimes while you were still out on parole from a robbery sentence.
”It is clear to me that you are not an asset to the community, but a danger to it and an effective sentence of 20 years is appropriate,” he said. — Sapa