Court sentences Barberton rapist

DURBAN – A 24-year-old man accused of raping five women from March 2014 to May 2018, has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment.

Raphael Livanje pleaded guilty to all the counts against him.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, said Livanje would break into the survivors’ homes late at night and rape them at gunpoint.

She said three of the rape survivors were from Barberton while another was from Bushbuckridge.

“One of the victims was a minor and all the victims did not know Livanje. He was linked to the crimes through DNA.

Prosecutor Tula Bekwa brought the court’s attention to the scourge of gender-based violence in our society and its impact,” Nyuswa said.

She added that there was a huge outcry by society about the need for gender-based violence which was a serious scourge to be effectively addressed.

Prosecutor Bekwa further emphasised that Livanje did not show remorse for his actions instead, he put the life of his victims in danger on transmitting HIV and AIDS as he did not use a condom when he raped them.

She asked the court to impose a suitable sentence.

Acting Judge Johanna Mthimunye sentenced Livanje to 30 years imprisonment for rape of a minor and 15 years imprisonment for each rape count of an adult.

The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

The court further ordered his name to be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders and he was declared unfit to work with children and was found unfit to possess a firearm as part of the sentence.

IOL