A man who terrorised schoolgirls in the Santa and Fort Grey areas west of East London was sentenced yesterday to life imprisonment after being found guilty on four counts of rape against two teenager and the attempted murder of another young woman.
One of the 18-year-old victims heard through social media that someone had been arrested for rape in the area.
She attended his court appearance, and later positively identified him as her assailant.
Kopanang Pheko, 37, who resides at Santa location but was in South Africa illegally, was yesterday sentenced to two life terms for raping two teenage girls from the area between November 2015 and June 2016.
High court judge Belinda Hartle also sentenced Pheko to 18 years for the attempted murder of a 22-year-old woman from the same area.
He stabbed her in the shoulder before raping her friend twice at gunpoint.
Hartle said the young woman “could have died as her wound was near fatal”.
All three young women attended Umtiza High School in Santa at the time.
Their identity as victims of sex crimes is protected.
The teenagers were repeatedly raped while walking to and from school, using a shortcut which passes through a bushy area.
The court heard the teens had to walk for a number of kilometres to school daily on a risky pathway as there was a shortage of scholar transport in their area.
Delivering her judgement, Hartle said that on November 11 2015, the 18-year-old and the 22-year-old were walking together near Bhompini location on their way to school.
They entered a bushy area to relieve themselves.
Hartle found that while the 22-year-old was waiting for her friend to finish, Pheko confronted her demanding a cellphone.
When she told him that she did not have one, he produced a firearm which he used to beat her on the head and body before he produced a knife and stabbed her in the left shoulder.
“At this stage returned and turned his attention to her. She ran back into the bush with in pursuit.
“This afforded the stabbing victim an opportunity to escape.
“She walked to a nearby school where she raised the alarm,” Hartle said.
She said Pheko caught up with the teen and threatened her with a firearm.
“Under duress she accompanied him into the forest and after a while, he made her stand and take off her tights and lift her dress. He then instructed her to bend over and raped her.”
Hartle said when Pheko had finished, he told her to put on her tights and forced her to accompany him deeper into the forest.
“After a while the accused indicated that he was tired, and they spent about 20 minutes sitting on a log.
“They then proceeded walking further, and after some distance, once more raped her,” said Hartle.
She said afterwards Pheko walked further with the young girl until they came in sight of the township.
He then asked her if she was going to report him, indicating that if she was, he would look for her again as he knew where she stayed and attended school.
Pheko was arrested “several months later” when the young woman recognised him at a food outlet in town and called the police.
In the second incident on June 29 2016, the other teen, a matric candidate, was walking to school when she took the same short cut through the bush.
Pheko attacked her and demanded her cellphone at knife point. When she told him she did not have one, he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her deep into the forest.
“He then instructed her to remove her uniform and when she was unwilling, he threatened her. He pushed her to the ground, lowered his trousers and raped her.
“When he had finished, he instructed her to dress and tried to drag her deeper into the forest.
“She managed to break free and attempted to flee, but he caught up with her and stabbed her in the back with a knife.
“He then forced her deeper into the forest where he raped her again,” said Hartle.
The young women welcomed the sentence, saying it would help to bring closure in their lives. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
Two life terms for serial rapist who terrorised pupils
One of the 18-year-old victims heard through social media that someone had been arrested for rape in the area.
She attended his court appearance, and later positively identified him as her assailant.
Kopanang Pheko, 37, who resides at Santa location but was in South Africa illegally, was yesterday sentenced to two life terms for raping two teenage girls from the area between November 2015 and June 2016.
High court judge Belinda Hartle also sentenced Pheko to 18 years for the attempted murder of a 22-year-old woman from the same area.
He stabbed her in the shoulder before raping her friend twice at gunpoint.
Hartle said the young woman “could have died as her wound was near fatal”.
All three young women attended Umtiza High School in Santa at the time.
Their identity as victims of sex crimes is protected.
The teenagers were repeatedly raped while walking to and from school, using a shortcut which passes through a bushy area.
The court heard the teens had to walk for a number of kilometres to school daily on a risky pathway as there was a shortage of scholar transport in their area.
Delivering her judgement, Hartle said that on November 11 2015, the 18-year-old and the 22-year-old were walking together near Bhompini location on their way to school.
They entered a bushy area to relieve themselves.
Hartle found that while the 22-year-old was waiting for her friend to finish, Pheko confronted her demanding a cellphone.
When she told him that she did not have one, he produced a firearm which he used to beat her on the head and body before he produced a knife and stabbed her in the left shoulder.
“At this stage returned and turned his attention to her. She ran back into the bush with in pursuit.
“This afforded the stabbing victim an opportunity to escape.
“She walked to a nearby school where she raised the alarm,” Hartle said.
She said Pheko caught up with the teen and threatened her with a firearm.
“Under duress she accompanied him into the forest and after a while, he made her stand and take off her tights and lift her dress. He then instructed her to bend over and raped her.”
Hartle said when Pheko had finished, he told her to put on her tights and forced her to accompany him deeper into the forest.
“After a while the accused indicated that he was tired, and they spent about 20 minutes sitting on a log.
“They then proceeded walking further, and after some distance, once more raped her,” said Hartle.
She said afterwards Pheko walked further with the young girl until they came in sight of the township.
He then asked her if she was going to report him, indicating that if she was, he would look for her again as he knew where she stayed and attended school.
Pheko was arrested “several months later” when the young woman recognised him at a food outlet in town and called the police.
In the second incident on June 29 2016, the other teen, a matric candidate, was walking to school when she took the same short cut through the bush.
Pheko attacked her and demanded her cellphone at knife point. When she told him she did not have one, he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her deep into the forest.
“He then instructed her to remove her uniform and when she was unwilling, he threatened her. He pushed her to the ground, lowered his trousers and raped her.
“When he had finished, he instructed her to dress and tried to drag her deeper into the forest.
“She managed to break free and attempted to flee, but he caught up with her and stabbed her in the back with a knife.
“He then forced her deeper into the forest where he raped her again,” said Hartle.
The young women welcomed the sentence, saying it would help to bring closure in their lives. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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