Brutal rapist gets 22 years for horrific attack in Kuruman

AS THE Northern Cape celebrates Women’s Month, the provincial SAPS management has welcomed the hefty sentence handed down to a 42-year-old man for kidnapping and rape by the Kuruman Regional Court.

Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Sergion Kock detailed the horrific events of the evening of November 18, 2016, when Shambi Elias Latha abducted a 25-year-old woman from a social gathering in Cassel Village, Bothithong.

Threatening her with a knife, Latha forced the woman to accompany him to his house, where he locked her in his bedroom. He then assaulted her with a panga and subjected her to severe beatings before raping her multiple times.

The victim later managed to escape while Latha slept and reported the incident to the police, leading to his arrest two days later.

Kock added that on August 14, 2024, Latha was found guilty and sentenced as follows:

Count 1: Rape – 18 years imprisonment

Count 2: Kidnapping – four years imprisonment

The sentences will run concurrently, and Latha has also been declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The acting provincial commissioner of the SAPS in the Northern Cape, Major-General Luntu Ngubelanga, commended Detective Captain Caren Nel from the Kuruman Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences unit for her relentless efforts in combating gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in the Province.

Ngubelanga also acknowledged the collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority in the unwavering pursuit of justice.

He further noted that the sentencing comes at a poignant time as the country honours Women’s Month, highlighting the ongoing fight against GBVF and the importance of justice for victims.