Relief as man gets 8 life terms for rape he committed 14 years ago

“I think you are disgusting and you have no f****ng courage.”

With those words, Celiwe Kawa closed the chapter on the man who repeatedly raped her mother between the sand dunes at an Eastern Cape beach more than 14 years ago.

Moses Gqesha, 50, who was convicted of repeatedly raping Gauteng businesswoman Andy Kawa throughout the night in 2010, seemed stunned and unsure of what had just transpired when judge Phillip Zilwa handed him eight life sentences in the Gqeberha high court.

“I don't know what's going on. I'm a little confused,” Gqesha said on Thursday before court orderlies took him down the stairs to the holding cells .

Gqesha was sentenced to life imprisonment for each of the eight times he had raped the successful businesswoman. He also received 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, 10 years for kidnapping, five years for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and four years for theft. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning he will serve an effective life sentence.

After Zilwa handed down judgment, members of the media flocked to the dock to snap pictures of Gqesha. As he started speaking to reporters, Celiwe's emotions boiled over and her outburst brought the packed courtroom to a stunned silence. “I'm sorry, but I think it's disgusting that you are f****ng speaking, and I think you showed absolutely no remorse, you had no f*****g courage, and this is completely unacceptable. You can't even look at me,” she said.

At the same time, 62-year-old Kawa remained composed as friends and supporters in the public gallery gave her hugs and shared words of encouragement.

Speaking to Sowetan, Celiwe said: ‘My mother and I are both relieved.

"What happened to my mother is not a unique or rare experience. It is actually something that has a high probability to happen to any woman or child in SA. What is unique about this case is that the perpetrator was eventually caught, the case was prosecuted and the defendant was convicted.

"Convictions aren’t enough as seen through the accuser’s diabolical behaviour in court and total lack of remorse. There is clearly a major problem with the way men view women and this is a problem that needs to be addressed at its root."

The matter dates back to December 2010 when Kawa was visiting her mother in Gqeberha. Before catching a flight back to Gauteng, she decided to take a stroll along Kings Beach. However, her life was turned upside down when Gqesha chased her down, assaulted her, and forced her to the nearby bushes among the dunes where she was stripped naked and repeatedly raped throughout the night.

In 2022, however, Gqesha was arrested for stealing a lawnmower in Newton Park, and his DNA sample was a match for DNA taken from Kawa.

Speaking on behalf of her mother after the proceedings, Celiwe said her mother had suffered severe emotional trauma, not only on the night of the attack but every time she had to recount her ordeal.

She said her mother appeared strong while testifying in court, but no-one saw the sleepless nights and loss of income due to the emotional trauma she has endured over the past 14 years.

Deputy director of public prosecutions in Gqeberha Adv Indra Goberdan said the sentence helped give other rape survivors the courage to come forward and report their cases to the authorities. “Complainants often feel if they cannot identify the perpetrator, they cannot report the rape. And I think this case serves as a source of encouragement for victims to go to the police and to ensure DNA samples are taken."

SowetanLIVE