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Yaghya Rubain (20) from Ocean View was sentenced by Magistrate Yasmin Shanaaz Meer to 20 years’ imprisonment for one count of rape and an additional 20 years for the murder of Cameron Britz (14).
Ten years of the rape sentence will run concurrently with the murder sentence and Rubain will effectively serve 30 years’ direct imprisonment.
Britz’s body was found on Sunday 2 July last year on an open field in Ocean View. She had been raped and murdered. She was last seen alive the previous night, Saturday 1 July, at 22:00, when she was lured away from the fire she was standing at by her cousin Rubain. He handed himself over to the police on Sunday 2 July after community members found him and chased him.
Lieutenant-Colonel Monwabisi Buzwayo, station commander of Ocean View police, welcomed the hefty sentences imposed on Rubain in the Cape High Court on Tuesday 14 August.
“It is only through thorough investigation of cases and the integrated partnership with the prosecuting authority that we the police can enhance our strategy of achieving our goal of building a society where law-abiding citizens are and feel safe. I thank Moeketsi Makwala, the investigating officer,” commented Buzwayo.
“It can never be business as usual when a young member of a family is so violently removed from the family as Cameron was. The authority of the state will be applied without fear or favour at all times. This sentence is testament to the collaborative efforts by the prosecuting and investigative teams. We hope the sentence will discourage lawlessness in all its forms,” he said.
“These sentences handed out to Rubain indicate that justice has been served. Credit must be given to the investigating team, prosecutors, the first responders at the crime scene, forensic experts and all those involved in securing a watertight case against the accused.
“The investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Moeketsi Raphala, worked tirelessly to make sure that the evidence brought before court was sufficient for a conviction.
“At the same time we hope the family of Cameron Britz will derive strength from the fact that the person responsible for inflicting this painful experience in their lives has been sent to jail for a very long time,” said Buzwayo.
