Zim pair jailed for rape, robbery in South Africa

A South African regional court has sentenced two Zimbabwean men to 30-years each in jail for robbery and rape.In a statement on Tuesday, the Office of the Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Services in the Free State said Zafaniao Zukula (30) and John Novela (25) were found guilty by a Welkom Regional Court.

According to the statement on  August 5, 2010 at about 7pm, a 54-year old man, his 52-year-old wife and their three grandchildren were watching television at their home in Doorn, Welkom.

Zukula and Novela and four other accomplices broke into the house armed with knives and a firearm.

They tied the man with ropes at gunpoint and assaulted him demanding cash from his wife.

They robbed them of cash, two cellphones and jewellery.

During the robbery, the statement said, the victims received visitors from Rustenburg who parked their vehicle in the yard.

The three robbers pounced and assaulted one of them with a sharp instrument on the forehead.

One of the robbers forced the visitor's wife to a bedroom and raped her.

They demanded car keys to a Volkswagen, loaded their loot and escaped.

They later dumped the vehicle in Thabong, near Welkom.

Investigations by Detective Warrant Officer Anja Tait led to the arrest of the two while two cellphones belonging to the elderly couple were recovered.

The investigator discovered that the other four suspects who were also Zimbabweans skipped the border back home.

Advocate Rudolf Hoffman prosecuted.

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