A resident of Shayandima township, Ndzudzeni Lucky Siavhe (26), was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Thohoyandou High Court last Friday for raping his own sister. The incident relating to the case took place during the night of 15 February last year.

The court heard that the accused came back home towards midnight during the night of the incident. At that stage, all the occupants of the house were already asleep. He knocked at the main entrance door, calling the victim’s name and requesting her to open the door for him.

After a while, she opened the door for him. While she was walking back to her room, Siavhe called her and ordered her to accompany her to his room. The victim refused to carry out the instruction. The accused then grabbed her and pulled her to his room.

The victim started screaming for assistance and that prompted the accused to assault her with his fists. The accused also threatened to cut the victim’s throat if she continued to make noise. The victim then surrendered and the accused took her to his own room, where he raped her repeatedly.

The victim told the story to her grandmother who stays next door the following morning. The grandmother took the matter up with the police. The accused was arrested some days after the incident. The accused was represented by Adv Mbambadzeni Manwadu while Adv Ratshilumela Johannes Makhera was prosecuting. Judge Godfrey Hetisani passed the judgement. The accused had two previous convictions. He was sentenced to six months for robbery in 2003. He was again sentenced to six months for a similar offence the very same year.