SECUNDA – A convicted rapist from Sakhile was sentenced in the Secunda Regional Court to 14 life sentences on 30 August while his co-accused was sent to jail for 30 years.
Magistrate Graham Cupido convicted and sentenced Thulani Khumalo (25) and Morena Kgaba (30) of Sakhile on multiple counts of rape, kidnapping and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
According to Sakhile and Standerton Police communications officers, Const Duduzile Zwane and Capt Fanie Nhlabathi, the victims ranged between 14 and 15 years old.
“Khumalo and Kgaba kidnapped two girls who were on their way home in Sakhile on 14 January 2013 at about 8pm,” Const Zwane said.
“They took turns to repeatedly rape and assault the girls before letting them go on 18 January.”
The girls reported the crime on 21 February after one of the girls informed her grandmother and teacher who called the police.
Kgaba however, did not stop there and was also a suspect in another case.
He kidnapped a 15-year-old girl who was his friend’s younger sister on 21 January 2013.
The girl was threatened with violence and was assaulted. Kgaba’s neighbour pleaded with him to let the girl go and finally called the Standerton Police who arrested Kgaba while he was in the company of the third complainant.
Kgaba was further charged with three counts of rape, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm and kidnapping of the third complainant.
Both accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, however the Regional Court prosecutor, Ms Phumzile Nkosi, led testimonies of the first and second traumatised victims who told the court how the rape incidents happened.
She also led DNA evidence which linked Kgaba with the third complainant.
Kgaba was sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the 14 counts of rape, five years’ imprisonment for each of the two kidnapping charges and one year on the charge of assault.
Magistrate Cupido ordered that the kidnapping and assault sentences run concurrently with the life sentences. Kgaba will thus effectively stay behind bars for life.
Khumalo faced 11 counts of rape and one count of kidnapping.
He was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on each count of rape and to five years for kidnapping.
The sentences will run concurrently and he will effectively remain in jail for 30 years.
Sgt Bongani Khumalo, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit and Serial Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI), who was the lead investigator in these cases, urged the public to work hand in hand with the police to curb crime.
Const Zwane and Capt Nhlabathi thanked Sgt Khumalo and the courts for their work.
Ms Monica Nyuswa, spokesperson for the Mpumalanga Public Prosecutors, said the national prosecuting authority welcomed the sentences and hope that it will serve as a deterrent to those who commit similar crimes.
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