A woman was sentenced to six month's imprisonment by the Empangeni District Court on Wednesday for lying to the police about being raped and forced to cook human heads.

Sindisiwe Buthelezi (36) pleaded guilty to defeating the ends of justice and contravening the provisions of the Commissioners of Oaths Act.

Magistrate K Moodley said the sentence was intended to show other women that lying about rape was a serious crime.

Buthelezi told the court she fabricated the rape incident after spending time with her boyfriend without informing her parents.

Her parents were very strict, she said. She had not thought her family would report the matter to the police.

Buthelezi was arrested in September at Folweni, outside Durban.

She had told the police she was kidnapped on October 10 by a man promising her a job.

She claimed that the man blindfolded her and two other women and took them to an unknown destination where they were repeatedly raped by five men and forced to cook human heads.

She told the police she escaped the next day.

A case of kidnapping and rape was opened and the police started an investigation.

Members of the Richard's Bay organised crime unit made a breakthrough when they traced Buthelezi's boyfriend to Empangeni.

He admitted being with Buthelezi on the day she went missing, but said he gave her money to go back home the day she claimed to have escaped.

People Opposing Women Abuse (Powa) programmes co-ordinator Carrie Shelver said it was extremely rare that a woman would lie about being raped.

She hoped Buthelezi was not pressured to confess.

"I hope this does not send a message that all women lie about being raped.

"They should still be treated with respect when reporting rape cases at police stations," she said.

Makhosazane Nxumalo, of the Commission for Gender Equality, said the law had to take its course if the woman had lied.

"If what this woman did is true, it is really sad because it makes other women who have been raped lose their credibility," Nxumalo said.