MOPANI – When Eric Johannes Ngobeni (28) of Nyagelani village in the Letsitele area had sexual intercourse with his lover during the night of Friday, January 2005, little did he know that his action would lead him to prison.

The woman proceeded to the police station the following morning where she laid a charge of rape against the accused. The accused was arrested some days after the incident. After several postponements, the case was finally laid to rest at the Tzaneen Regional Court last Friday.

The accused told the court that there was no reason for the victim to lay a charge of rape against him, saying they were true lovers during the time of the incident. The victim refuted that in front of the packed court, saying the accused had sex with her against her will, hence the rape charge.

Before passing judgment, the court told the accused that it was unlawful of him to have sexual intercourse with the victim without her consent, whether they were lovers or not. He was then sentenced to spend the next fifteen years in jail.

*In a case that was finalized at the Malamulele Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Mr Mkhacane Metro Baloyi (30) was sentenced to five years in jail on twelve counts of fraud. The incidents took place at the accused’s work station, Malamulele Post Office, between November last year and last month.

The court heard that the accused had fraudulently withdrawn cash from the unsuspecting post office bank clients’ savings accounts over that period. The clients discovered that when they went to do some banking at the post office. They reported the matter to the police and the accused was arrested. He was not given the option to pay a fine.