Court Slaps Qonce Man With 11 Years in Jail for Raping Minor 27 Years Ago
- A Qonce man has been sentenced to 11 years in jail after being found guilty of rape in the Zwelitsha Regional Court
- A 58-year-old Xolani Qanqane was convicted for the 1997 rape of a 14-year-old girl in Dimbaza township near Qonce
- The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said his successful conviction was the result of a long and arduous process
Source: Getty Images
QONCE — The Zwelitsha Regional Court has convicted a man for the rape of a now-41-year-old woman as a minor in the Eastern Cape in 1997.
Xolani Qanqane, 58, received 11 years imprisonment on Wednesday, 17 July, for perpetrating the rape of a 14-year-old girl 27 years ago.
Man gets 11 years for rape
The court heard how Qanqane worked as an independent photographer in and around Qonce.
During a visit to a shopping centre in Qonce, the woman, now a social worker, and her cousin approached him for a photograph of them.
Afterwards, Qanqane lured the victim away under the guise of developing the photo at another photographer’s stand as the victim’s cousin went shopping.
He convinced the victim to take a picture with him, preying on her naivety. Days later, the victim found out that the accused had been brandishing the photo he took, claiming she was his girlfriend.
Concerned about her parents' reaction if they found out, she went to the shopping centre to tell Qanqane off.
After offering to hand her the photo, which he said was at his house, he slapped her in the face as they approached his car and bundled her into it.
Aftermath of sexual assault
Qanqane drove to his flat in Dimbaza township and violently raped the victim before threatening to kill her if she told on him.
Years later, having been forced to submit to his demands, she enrolled at university and met and fell in love with someone.
However, things became rocky after her partner wanted relations and, eventually, due to his persistence, told him about the abuse.
Several more years passed, and in 2020, she spotted a taxi as she was crossing a road in East London and recognised the driver.
Convinced it was the photographer who'd raped her, she took a cellphone number written on its side.
She later courageously called, seeking an apology.
Painstaking process to prosecute
The court heard Qanqane mistook her for another woman and dismissed her, saying he had already served his punishment. The victim realised she had not been his only victim and opened a case in 2021.
Eastern Cape National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said her statement was the only evidence in the docket.
"Senior Public Prosecutor (SPP) Brenan Sam worked to [gather] evidence to corroborate the victim's version after more than 24 years.
"He embarked on a painstaking process to build a case from scratch. Prosecutor Mzwandile Selanto led the evidence and cross-examined Qeqelane.
"The highly emotional victim [subsequently provided a reliable testimony], leading to the conviction," Tyali said.
He said Qeqelane's successful prosecution was an example of hundreds of similar cases prosecuted successfully daily.
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Source: Briefly News
