Rapist Siyabonga Lawrence Ngwenya (21) was sentenced on two counts of rape on Thursday July 25 in Boschfontein Regional Court
He targeted children in the Nkomazi area.
The first victim was a seven-year-old girl from KaMhlushwa. The rape occurred on October 15, 2019.
A case was opened after this incident and an investigation was launched by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit from Tonga.
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This led to Ngwenya’s arrest on October 22, 2019. He was 16 at the time. Due to his minor status he was released into the care of a guardian. He raped an 11-year-old girl in Mzinti Trust on July 8, 2021, while she was visiting her grandmother.
The FCS members conducted another investigation, which led to his arrest a second time. On the first count of rape, the accused was convicted and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, and on the second, he received 22 years’ imprisonment.
The office of the provincial commissioner in Mpumalanga says that the sentences will run concurrently.
Ngwenya will be entered into the Register of Sexual Offenders. He will no longer be allowed to work with children.
“The SAPS is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society, especially children, from such heinous crimes. We commend the dedicated work of the investigating team, and we trust that this sentence will send a strong message that such criminal behaviour will not be tolerated. We hope the sentence will serve as a deterrent to others who may consider emulating the actions of the convicted,” said Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi.
