One of the six alleged rape victims of the man dubbed the Qumbu Facebook serial rapist and murderer showed bravery and confidence as she told the Mthatha high court on Tuesday of the evening she had been attacked.
Taking the stand and led by prosecutor advocate Mbulelo Nyendwana, the victim still remembered the details vividly, though it is almost four years since the rape ordeal.
Xolisa Sijadu is accused of luring his victims using a fake account under the name Neo Jerry, a handsome man who had been left a big inheritance by his late father, and who either worked as a police Investigator or a senior official at Sassa.
He allegedly sent his victim pictures of brand new vehicles and a nice big house.
The complainant, who is based in Johannesburg, told the court that she started to chat with Jerry two weeks before the attack.
He said that he was not only looking at dating me but wanted me to be his wife and I should go to Qumbu to meet him.
She travelled from her home in Ntabankulu to Qumbu to meet the man of her dreams.
But Jerry called to say he was busy at work and would send his driver to pick her up at a filling station in Qumbu.
The driver arrived without the car, saying it was still being washed and he did not want her to be delayed.
He asked her to walk with him to where Jerry was, but suddenly she was attacked.
“As we were walking he tripped me and I fell on my back. He held a knife to my throat and said he also had a gun, but l did not see it.
“He said if I screamed he would not hesitate to kill me. He undressed me and covered my face with my panties and the denim shorts I wore,” the victim said.
After raping her he took a photograph of her while she was still half naked.
“He said that if I told Neo that he had raped me he would post the nude pictures on social media saying that I had been caught practising witchcraft,” she said and broke down.
The court was adjourned for her to compose herself.
On her return, she pointing to the accused when asked if the driver who had attacked her was in court.
“Though he now has no beard and long hair I still recognised him and there is no mistake with that. This is the man who raped me,” the victim said.
After raping her, he took her purse and left.
“It was dark. I saw some light in the distance and decided to walk towards a homestead. I was in pain and traumatised.
“I was crying as I walked. I would fall down but picked myself up and continued walking, sometimes running.
“I was exhausted. Eventually I reached a vehicle and told a man and a lady the story.” They took her to the Qumbu police station.
Defence attorney advocate Gxaba tried to poke holes in the evidence, saying the sex had been consensual.
But the alleged victim denied the sex had been consensual.
Sijadu was arrested on November 4 2017 and has been in custody since then. The trial continues on Wednesday.
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