'Rapists must die in jail and be buried there'

A spate of rapes of elderly women in KwaZulu-Natal has resulted in renewed calls for the death penalty to be reinstated.

The calls were made by elderly women from Swayimane following the appearance in the New Hanover Magistrate's Court yesterday of a 28 year-old suspect, who has been accused of raping a 94-year-old granny from their village.

The women gathered outside the court as the suspect made his fourth court appearance in connection with the rape last month.

They said that if the government could not reintroduce capital punishment it should consider other stringent measures for sex offenders, including castration.

"He [the suspect] must be castrated," they all shouted. "If there is proof of physical brutality, that person must be killed.

"The death sentence must be revived, otherwise we will continue becoming victims. It's only stiff sentences such as castration and death that will stop this from happening," said 68-year-old Thokozile Gcumisa.

Said an angry Zoneni Gwala: "For us grannies to feel safe, rapists must never be released. They must get life sentences and not be released on parole. If they get sick, they must die in prison and be buried there.

"It's the least that our government can do for us, otherwise we will die very painful deaths."

The suspect, an habitual criminal with a lengthy record, allegedly raped his victim shortly after his release from prison in line with President Jacob Zuma's special remissions programme.

A week later, an 84-year-old woman was raped.

Emotions ran high yesterday, with protesters hurling insults at the young man as he made his way into the courtroom.

"You are insane! You deserve to be killed. You don't belong in any society," they shouted.

The trial has been set down for September 15-19 in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.

Umshwathi mayor Marshall Gwala yesterday said that though he understood residents' outrage, they must allow the law to take its course.