R v Makebe (Review Case 27 of 2011) [2011] LSHC 116 (24 March 2011)

IN THE HIGH COUR T OF LE S OTHO In t h e m a t t er b et ween : R E X Vs S HIBILANE MAKE BE Review Ca s e No. 2 7 / 2 0 1 1 Review Or d er No. 0 4 / 2 0 1 1 CR 5 7 9 / 2 0 1 0 Ler ib e Dis t r ict OR DE R ON R E VIE W Th is m a tter on a u tom a tic review ca m e fr om th e Lerib e Ma gis tr a te’s Cou r t. Th e a ccu s ed wa s ch a rged with con tr a ven tion of S ection 3 (2 ) of th e S exu al Offen ces Act No.3 of 2 0 0 3 a n d s en ten ced to eigh t yea rs im p r is on m en t with ou t th e op tion of a fin e. Th e a ccu s ed p lea d ed n ot gu ilty to th e ch a r ge a n d a fu ll tr ia l p r oceed ed b efore th e m a gis tr a te. Th e a ccu s ed h a d lega l rep res en ta tion a n d a ll p r oced u r a l a s p ects were a d h ered to in th e tr ia l. Accor d in g to th e evid en ce b efore th e cou r t th e com p la in a n t wa s a tea ch er a t Qoqolos in g High S ch ool a n d lived a t Seb oth oa n e. Th e a ccu s ed lived in a two-r oom ed h ou s e n ea rb y with h is wife a n d two ch ild ren , a n d wa s em p loyed a s a s ecu r ity gu a r d a t a s h op ; b u t a ls o u s ed to fetch wa ter for th e com p la in a n t a n d got p a id M1 0 .0 0 for fou r twen ty litre con ta in er s fu ll of wa ter . Th e a ccu s ed a n d com p la in a n t s eem to h a ve d evelop ed a cor d ia l rela tion s h ip , to th e exten t th a t in h er evid en ce th e com p la in a n t revea led th a t s h e h a d on ce given a ccu s ed a n a m ou n t of M1 0 0 .0 0 a fter h e h a d b or r owed th a t a m ou n t fr om h er . Com p la in a n t tes tified th a t h e refu n d ed M4 0 .0 0 of th a t a m ou n t b u t wa s s ill owed M6 0 .0 0 wh en th e a lleged offen ce occu r red . On th e n igh t of th e 1 7 t h Sep tem b er 2 0 1 0 ; com p la in a n t s a ys s h e wa s a s leep a r ou n d 2 :0 0 a m wh en a ccu s ed en tered h er b ed room a n d wok e h er u p . S h e s a w th e a ccu s ed b eca u s e s h e s lep t with h er ligh t on . Th e a ccu s ed a s k ed h er for m on ey a n d s h e told h im s h e h a d n on e to give to h im , a n d th a t s h e s till exp ected h im to r efu n d th e M6 0 .0 0 owed to h er . S h e s a ys th e a ccu s ed th en d em a n d ed s ex fr om h er a n d s h e refu s ed , wh ereu p on h e for cefu lly fell h er d own a n d s tr a n gled h er . Rem oved h er p a n ty a n d r a p ed h er . Wh en h e wa s th r ou gh h e s a id s h e m u s t p u t th e ligh t off a n d a s k ed h er to wa rm s om e wa ter for h im to ta k e a b a th . Th a t wa s b eca u s e s h e wa s on h er m on th ly p er iod a t th e tim e. Her evid en ce is th a t s h e d id s o. Th e a ccu s ed p ers is ten tly a s k ed h er n ot to tell a n yb od y a b ou t th e r a p e a n d s h e s a ys s h e a gree d ou t of fea r . Wh en a s k ed b y a ccu s ed wh a t s h e wou ld s a y to h is wife if s h e h ea r d h er s crea m s a n d s a w h er s cr a tch es , s h e rep lied th a t s h e wou ld s a y s h e wa s b it ten b y a s p id er . Th e a ccu s ed th en left a n d com p la in a n t s lep t. In th e m or n in g th e a ccu s ed retu r n ed to com p la in a n t’s h ou s e a n d a s k ed com p la in a n t to go to h is h ou s e a n d tell h is wife th a t if s h e h ea r d h er s crea m th e p reviou s n igh t it wa s b eca u s e s h e h a d b een b itten b y a s p id er . S h e a greed th a t s h e wou ld d o s o. Ap p a ren tly th e com p la in a n t h a d n ot yet d ecid ed to rep or t th e r a p e to th e p olice. S h e th en wen t in to th e h ou s e cryin g, took th e wa ter a ccu s ed h a d u s ed th e n igh t b efore to wa s h a n d th rew it ou t. On e `Ma teb oh o a p p ea red a t th a t s ta ge a n d s a w h er cr yin g. Sh e a s k ed h er wh a t wa s wr on g. Com p la in a n t told h er a ccu s ed h a d r a p ed h er . Ma teb oh o wen t a wa y a n d la ter ca m e b a ck with a n eigh b ou r , a n old er wom a n wh o told h er n ot to wa s h a n d to go to th e p olice. La ter a ccu s ed ’s wife ca m e a n d in qu ired a s to wh a t h a d h a p p en ed a n d s h e told h er th a t h er h u s b a n d h a d r a p ed h er . S h e th en wen t to th e p olice to rep or t, a n d ob ta in ed th e m ed ica l for m . Accu s ed wa s a ccor d in gly ch a r ged . In h er cros s -exa m in a tion Mr s . Nk u for th e a ccu s ed p u t it to th e com p la in a n t th a t s h e a n d a ccu s ed h a d a love a ffa ir , wh ich com p la in a n t d en ied . S h e p u t it to h er th a t th ey h a d con s en s u a l s ex wh ich s h e a ls o d en ied . Th e d efen ce a r gu ed in th e tr ia l a d d res s es th a t th e evid en ce of a ll th e o th er witn es s es wh o were told b y th e com p la in a n t wa s n ot a d m is s ib le to p rove th e r a p e a s th ey were a ll told b y h er of th e even ts . It wa s fu r th er s u b m itted th a t even th ou gh th e ca u tion a ry r u le wa s a b olis h ed b y th e Act, th e cou r t is s till ob liged to exer cis e ca u tion with ou t th e requ irem en t for cor r ob or a tion . I a m n ot p er s u a d ed th a t a t th e en d of th e d a y th e d efen ce wa s a b le, th r ou gh cr os s exa m in a tion , to s h ow th a t th e s ex wa s con s en s u a l. I wou ld th erefore con fir m th e con viction . I a m h owever con cer n ed with th e s en ten ce of eigh t yea r s s en ten ce with ou t th e op tion of a fin e a n d I con s id er it in th e cir cu m s ta n ces to b e ra th e r h a r s h for a fir s t offen d er with a ll oth er fa ctor s ta k en in to a ccou n t. My a tten tion wa s h owever d r a wn to S ection 3 1 an d 3 2 of th e Act wh ich p res cr ib es th e m in im u m p en a lties , a n d in th e ca s e of a fir s t offen d er it is in d eed eigh t yea r s with ou t th e op tion of a fin e. Th e m a gis tr a te p a s s ed a m in im u m s en ten ce a n d a ccor d in gly th is cou r t ca n n ot in ter fere. S in ce n o exten u a tin g cir cu m s ta n ces or in d ivid u a l cir cu m s ta n ces of th e a ccu s ed were con s id ered th e cou r t wa s b ou n d to p a s s th e m in im u m s en ten ce a t lea s t. Both con viction a n d s en ten ce a re th erefore con fir m ed on review. _______________ L. A. MOLE TE ACTING J UDGE 2 4 t h Ma r ch 2 0 1 1 CC: All Ch ief Ma gis tr a tes All Ma gis tr a tes Ma gis tr a te Ler ib e All Pu b lic Pr os ecu tor s O/ C Police Ler ib e O/ C Pr is on Ler ib e CID – Ler ib e Director of Pu b lic Pr os ecu tion s 5