Man who gave rape victim R5 sentenced to life in prison

A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the rape of a minor.

Ntando Shozi was arrested in October 2022 for pulling a knife on a girl before raping her in a secluded area.

Shozi was found guilty based on DNA evidence and the work done by investigators. He was sentenced in the Ntuzuma Regional Court on Tuesday.

R5 for cigarettes

Shozi encountered his victim on a street in the Bhambayi area of Inanda while she was searching for her mother.

The pair were not fully acquainted but the victim had a vague knowledge of the man. This made her comfortable enough to ask him for money to buy cigarettes.

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The man took advantage of the situation, pulling a knife on the girl and forcing her into a secluded area.

After raping the girl, Shozi then gave her R5 and allowed her to leave.

The victim immediately reported the incident and was taken to the Phoenix Thuthuzela Care Centre.

“The complainant’s mother then asked the people of the area who Shozi was and where he lived. This information was relayed to the police and Shozi was arrested,” confirmed KZN NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.

“It is our mandate to protect the most vulnerable in society. We commend the work done by the prosecution and the police in securing the conviction,” Ramkisson-Kara added.

Victim lured while playing hide and seek

Elsewhere in the province, a 21-year-old was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for raping his 11-year-old cousin.

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The perpetrator lured his victim into his room while the child was playing hide and seek with her friends back in February 2023.

“While in his room, he raped her. Thereafter he let her go outside but threatened to hit her if she told anyone about what he had done,” explained Ramkisson-Kara.

The young girl told her grandmother about the incident several months later, prompting a police report and subsequent arrest.

Citing the gross betrayal of trust and lack of remorse, the Ezakheni Regional Court handed down the minimum prescribed sentence.

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