A courageous woman of 59, who fought to the death against her brutal, drunken 29-year-old neighbour, ensured that her rapist and murderer would later be jailed until he dies in prison.
Grahamstown High Court Judge Mandela Makaula in his ruling on Thursday said: “It was because of the courageous acts of the deceased, who fought back, thus inflicting injuries on the accused, which led to his arrest.”
Makaula sentenced Anathi Peter, from Tabata village in Lesseyton near Komani, to two life sentences – one for rape and one for murder.
Six years ago Peter raped and strangled to death his neighbour, Ntombizodwa Skade, who lived alone.
He attacked her on the night of May 27 2012. Peter said he was drunk at the time and pleaded guilty to both the rape and murder charges.
The judge found that an intoxicated Peter went to Skade’s home and knocked on the door. She woke up and because she knew him, let him in.
In his plea statement, Peter told the court that Skade had fought for her life, scratching him on his neck and face.
Peter bit her breasts and cheeks before raping and strangling her.
Peter submitted that after killing her, he pulled up her panties, dressed her, covered her with a duvet on her bed, and let himself out, locking up from outside.
Skade’s body was discovered by community members who became concerned when she did not arrive at a meeting she was suppose to attend the following day.
Moments after the discovery of Skade’s body, Peter was found with red ochre on his face – a bid to hide Skade’s scratch marks on his neck and face.
Peter, who was later handed over to police, had told community members that the injuries were “tobacco” burns.
Handing down his judgment, Makaula said Skade’s murder and rape was premeditated and that Peter “calculated” and executed a plan which he knew would not be easy to detect.
“He went to her house knowing fully well that he would kill her as he knew that if he did not, [Skade] the deceased would identify him as her attacker,” Makaula said...