Update
PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The Plettenberg Bay Regional Court has found Murray High School teacher Thabile Manetsa guilty of rape.
Thabile Manetsa (29), who was granted bail after his arrest, pleaded not guilty to the charge of raping his then girlfriend's friend on 2 September 2023.
On 17 October this year, Magistrate Siyabonga Mazibuko found him guilty of rape.
At the request of the defence, the hearing has been postponed for sentencing to 2 December for pre-sentence reports to be tabled.
Manetsa was charged with one count of rape that occurred on 2 September 2023.
On this day, the victim and her friend (who was Manetsa's girlfriend at the time) went for dinner, whereafter they decided to go a club. After that they returned to the victim's apartment.
Fright
An argument broke out between the victim's friend and her flatmate. The friend then called her boyfriend to fetch her.
The two friends had plans to attend an event in Plett the next morning, and they decided to travel to Plett with Manetsa together, and went to his house.
According to evidence, Manetsa and his girlfriend slept in the bed and the victim on the couch.
The victim woke up to Manetsa having sex with her. She got a fright and asked him what he was doing. He apologised.
She was emotional and not sure how to react. She then informed her friends and family of what happened and they encouraged her to open a case against him.
Improbable
The complainant was reluctant at first for fear that it would be his word against hers. She eventually agreed to laying criminal charges and a case was later opened with the police.
Manetsa denied the allegations levelled against him by the state and testified that he and the complainant had had consensual oral sex.
After scrutinising all of the evidence, Magistrate Mazibuko found the evidence of all state witnesses to be credible and that Manetsa's version was "improbable".
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