Everson Luhanga
Don Vuyisile Dlwathi stood in court and apologised on behalf of his son, to the victim.
“On behalf of my dead son, I apologise to the victim he raped,” said Dlwathi.
“My son was not raised like the monster he became. I am still shocked that he and his convicted friend raped a woman.”
Dlwathi’s son, Muzi, was stabbed to death by Rodney Mathatha Setata after they both raped their victim.
Mathatha was sentenced to 90 years in jail in the Tembisa Regional Court for multiple crimes he committed in and around Tembisa.
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Kgomotso Mabote said Mathatha was heartless to his victims and the court sentenced him to heavy jail time.
He was arrested in 2015 when he and his friend raped their victim. But when his friend wanted to rape the victim again Mathatha became angry.
“The two argued and Mathatha stabbed his friend,” said Mabote.
After his arrest, while he was out on bail, he was arrested again for raping another victim in front of his pregnant girlfriend.
Mabote said he kept his victim in the shack overnight.
“He let her go the following morning,” said Mabote.
Mathatha was again granted bail.
“I felt as if the courts were letting me down by granting the suspect bail,” Mabote said.
“Some of the victims wouldn’t have gone through the pain of being raped if he was kept in custody after he was arrested for the first rape.”
In an interview, Dlwathi told Scrolla.Africa that he felt himself compelled to apologise to the victim.
Dlwathi said he expected, however, to see Mathatha sentenced to at least 150 years.
“The 90 years he received is not enough. He murdered my son and victimised many other people,” he said.
