'I pushed him away'

2007-08-03 21:13

Scottburgh - A Sandton mother is haunted by what could have happened to her daughters after a man "fiddled" with her as she was being tied up, the High Court heard on Friday.

The mother of three, who cannot be identified, said: "My husband and I, we agreed we wouldn't become victims. But what has haunted me is that my daughters could have been there and they could have been subject of goodness knows what."

The woman was testifying in the trial of three men accused of indecently assaulting her, and also raping three Durban women earlier, on the night of December 29 in Pennington on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast.

Sithembiso Shelembe, 23, Mthokozisi Mbambo, 29, and Wonder Mchunu, 26, are accused of robbing the Gauteng couple and the rape of the three women.

Mbambo has also been charged with attempted murder. He was diagnosed as being HIV-positive "as far back as 2000" according to the indictment.

The indictment said that Mbambo raped the women "in spite of his knowledge of the potential transmission of a virus leading to fatal consequences".

Beautifully lit up'

The woman and her husband, who also testified on Friday, were cleaning up after a dinner party when they were held up in their holiday cottage on the sea shore in Pennington.

The court heard that her 47-year-old husband had helped to wash the dishes and lock up the security gates. The man however realised that he had not cleared up the table on the veranda. When he opened the gate three men accosted him.

When State prosecutor Dorian Paver questioned her about the lighting in the house and the fact that the three men's defence teams were claiming that their clients were at home on the night of the crime, the woman said: "When we were seated on the couch we were within a metre of number One (Shelembe). He was beautifully lit up. I could recognise him anywhere."

Under cross-examination, advocate Dean Govender questioned the couple about their alcohol intake which could have impaired their senses.

'Such a fright'

"With due respect, when you have a gun and a knife pointed at you, one glass of wine consumed two hours earlier will not have any impact on you. I was in full command of my senses," the woman replied.

As the couple were being tied up "one of the accused started fiddling with me. He put his finger into my private parts. I pushed him away because I got such a fright.

"Fortunately at that moment there was a squeak or a whistle, they got such a fright."

Moments later the three men fled the scene, the court heard.

- SAPA