Two men get life imprisonment for raping Sharpeville teen
Two life sentences for the men who were apprehended by the community members for raping a 17-year-old teenager.
VEREENIGING.- Two men from Sharpeville accused of raping a 17-year-old teenager have been permanently removed from society after the Vereeniging Magistrate’s Court found them guilty on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
In a statement Sedibeng District communication officer, Captain Fikile Funda said the incident happened in November 2020.
“On November 22, 2020 at about 23:00 a 17-year-old victim was working home from a local tavern in Sharpeville.
She was running to her brother who was walking a few meters in front of her when she was grabbed by two unknown male suspects, took her to an open field and took turns to rape her.”
According to Funda the second suspect advised the first suspect for them to kill the victim so as to do away with the evidence.
“The first suspect opted to take the victim to his house where he attempted to further rape the victim, but he could not rape her and he fell asleep.”
The victim escaped and alerted the community who arrested the suspect and handed him over to the police.
The case of rape was allocated to sergeant Emily Morake from Family Violence, Child protection and Sexual offences unit who worked tirelessly to trace the second suspect.
Thabang Ndaba, 31-years-old, was arrested after being traced to Grootvlei correctional services awaiting trial for another rape committed at Heidelberg.
The investigating officer found out that Ndaba was only 3 months out on parole after serving 10 years of his sentence of twenty years sentence for a case of rape.
The second suspect, Bafana William Mgcina, 34-years-old, was only 6 months out on parole after serving only 8 years of his 15 years sentence of murder.
On Wednesday, Magistrate Chris Kruger sentenced the two suspects as follows:
Ndaba: Count 1 Rape – life imprisonment, count 2 kidnapping – 5 years imprisonment and count 3 attempted rape- 15 years imprisonment.
Mgcina: Count 1 Rape – life imprisonment, count 2 – Kidnapping sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.
The acting district commissioner brigadier Mbhangwa Nkhwashu welcomed the sentence.
“We are very pleased with the work well done by the investigating officer and the sentence received by the perpetrators which we hope is going to be a deterrent to the law brakers” said Nkhwashu.
