Life in jail for pastor who raped and held woman hostage for eight months

The Viljoenskroon magistrate’s court in the Free State on Monday sentenced a 40-year-old pastor who kept a 50-year-old woman against her will for eight months and raped her  several times to life imprisonment.

Magistrate Sbongile Mathambeka also sentenced Office Samson Choniswa, from Rammulotsi, to five years for kidnapping, four years for theft and five years for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said on August 31 2020 the complainant was hitchhiking, trying to get transport to Johannesburg after burying her mother.

“Choniswa told the complainant he can organise transport for her but they must first go to his house and the complainant agreed.”

“He refused to let her go and kept her in the house for eight months against her will.

“He raped her several times and assaulted her. He took her cellphone and R1,800 cash,” Shuping said.

The woman escaped on March 11 last year. The next day she hitchhiked to Potchefstroom police station where she reported the case.

In court, Choniswa denied raping the complainant and claimed it was consensual.

He said the complainant came to him asking to be his wife.

However, prosecutor Siphokazi Tunzi told the court the injuries sustained by the woman showed she was held against her will.

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