Joshua Thwala sentenced to 10 years for rape
KwaThema- Residents of KwaThema and the surrounding townships filled the Springs Magistrate Court today (April 21) to hear Joshua Thwala's fate.
The court was filled to capacity and the magistrate was forced to ask some people to leave.
On Friday, Thwala (50) was found guilty of raping a 17-year-old girl at his home in Struisbult, on April 7, 2013.
He raped the girl after convincing her mother that he wanted to conduct counselling for all girls in the Ekurhuleni Swazi community.
Taking to the stand today, Thwala tried to convince magistrate Bennita Oswell to give him a lighter sentence.
Thwala, however, showed no remorse, and still denied raping the victim.
Before handing down the sentence, Oswell said the court understands the victim’s trauma.
“Despite the fact that there was no physical violence used, the truth is that the girl will struggle to forget about a traumatic situation she went through,” said Oswell.
She continued to remind the court that the victim came to South Africa from Swaziland to receive a better education.
Oswell sentenced Thwala to 10 years imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
An application by Thwala to appeal was denied by Oswell, after the state made it clear that no other court will find him innocent or give him a lighter sentence.
