'All I had to do was agree'
12/01/2007

Rawsonville - A young woman who falsely testified that four farmers had raped her, on Thursday tearfully told how thankful she was "to have put the lies aside".

Anneline Davids, 22, said she was pressurised into "starting to lie" by the family of a friend, Anthony Ntonzeni, 15.

They alleged that Anthony had been brutally assaulted by the farmers and that she had been raped. The director of public prosecutions, however, decided that there wasn't enough evidence to continue with the case.

Pressure groups declared war on the farmers following these allegations, which led to protest marches.

"I don't know what I let myself in for," said Davids, her head bowed.

"What worries me most is the effect these lies had on other people's lives. They suffered because of it. The farmers could have lost so much: their farms, wives, homes."

'All I had to do was agree'

According to Davids, Anthony's grandparents, John Matimba and Rebeca Ntonzeni, threatened her into agreeing with them.

"The people from Women on Farms arrived here and they (Matimba and Ntonzeni) told them the story. All I had to do was agree."

She said she had never experienced any problems with the farmers and she wasn't aware of any of the alleged abuse of farmworkers in the area.

"I just want to set things straight, but I don't know if I will have the courage to speak. It will be difficult to look them in the eye.

"I very much want to apologise. I hope they accept it, otherwise I'll have to live with it for the rest of my life," said Davids.

According to her the problem rather existed between the coloureds and blacks (Ntonzeni's grandparents) in the area.

"Something bad is happening here. They cannot get along with the people on the farm."

Matimba and Ntonzeni allegedly ran a shebeen and had a hold on many of the farmworkers. The couple also have a right to stay on the farm Groenvlei.

'Justice must take its course'

"These are cruel people. They don't have a heart for others. If they can overrun you, they will."

"It surfaced in conversations that they wanted the farms and money of two of the farmers. They said the farmers would leave barefoot, as they wouldn't even have a vehicle left to drive away with," said Davids.

About the possibility of being charged with defeating the ends of justice and lying in court, Davids said: "I cannot express how I feel about it. As long as the truth now persists, justice must take its course. I've lied so far, but can't continue. I got myself into this mess, and now must get myself out of it."

She has meanwhile converted to Christianity.

"I have to rely on God. He is the only One who can forgive, as the people on earth do not forgive."

One of the farmers accused of rape, said he hoped these people wouldn't get away with their lies. He called on the courts to prosecute them.

"Accuse me of anything else, but not of rape. If these people who spread the lies fail to be prosecuted, where is our society heading?"