Two men accused of rape and murder of Soweto gran and daughter in court
A third suspect was shot dead in a house robbery a day after the attack
Image: Andriy Popov/123rf.com
Two of three men accused of raping a 61-year-old woman and her 21-year-old daughter appeared briefly in the Roodepoort magistrate's court on Thursday.
The 61-year-old died shortly after the attack.
The pair — identified as Aron Mweba, 41, and Nkosinathi Gqoba, 51 — said they wanted to apply for a Legal Aid attorney, according to NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana.
They appeared on a charge of murder, two counts of rape, and one of housebreaking and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Ahead of the court appearance, police said one of the two men was a victim of mob justice in the wake of the rape but survived.
Meanwhile, a third man was shot dead in a house robbery a day after the attack.
“On Wednesday evening, July 22, 2020, investigations led to Mpumalanga, where [police] arrested one suspect. Police have determined and confirmed that the second suspect in the case was shot and killed during a house robbery this past weekend in Roodepoort,” said police spokesperson Brig Mathapelo Peters.
“Further investigations have since linked a third suspect, who is one of two men that were allegedly assaulted by community members over the weekend,” Peters said.
The community had accused them of being part of the attack.
“This third suspect has now been arrested and is in police custody,” Peters said.
Describing the double rape of the granny and her daughter, police said that the suspects broke the burglar bars and entered the house through the sliding door on Friday, July 17.
“One suspect, who was allegedly armed with a weapon, raped the 21-year-old victim while the second suspect raped and severely assaulted the 61-year-old grandmother in a separate bedroom,” Peters said.
The grandmother, who was severely injured, was rushed to Tshepo-Themba clinic in Soweto. She did not survive.
The Commission for Gender Equality condemned the incident and called for the perpetrators to be severely dealt with.
“As the CGE, we believe that justice should not be heard but must be seen to be working effectively for all citizens. As a legal maxim, justice delayed is justice denied. Women and children cannot be at the mercy of perpetrators of gender-based violence, be it in the streets or their private spaces,” said spokesperson, Javu Baloyi.