The South African Police Service in conjunction with the National Prosecuting Authority as well as the Judiciary have meted 30 life sentences during August and September 2018, to eight accused for rape charges committed in separate incidents.
Amongst the convicts, are duo, Morena Kgabo aged 21 and Thulani Khumalo aged 20, who were granted harsh sentences for sexually abusing three victims aged between 13 and 15 at Standerton and Sakhile in 2013.
The convicts were sentenced by the Secunda Sexual Offence Court on 30 September 2018, after hearing that Kgabo kidnapped the victims along the streets and took them to Khumalo’s place where they took turns raping them.
Kgabo was found guilty on fourteen rape charges and as a result granted 14 life sentences. He was also sentenced to 10 more years’ imprisonment for two counts of kidnapping and one year for assault. His co accused, Khumalo was found guilty on 11 charges of rape for which he was granted a 15 year jail term for each, totalling 165 years, which will run concurrently. He was also granted an additional five years imprisonment for kidnapping and will serve an effective 20 years in prison.
Another one that was convicted is a 21 year old man from Kwachibikhulu near Chrissiesmeer, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victims who are related to him. He was granted a life sentence for statutory rape at the Ermelo Regional Court on 23 August 2018, for raping two boys aged 9 and 13. The court heard how he raped them on several occasions while they were in his care. He was also granted another 10 years imprisonment for raping an 18 year old woman.
Among the convicts who were sent to jail, was also Solomon Sizwe Yende aged 30, who was granted three life sentences by the Circuit of the Pretoria High Court sitting in Barberton, for raping three minors aged 3, 7 and 10, around Barberton.
Yende forcefully took the seven and ten year old girls to a secluded area where he raped them at knife point. The court heard that he also snatched the three year old in the playing area of a retail shop and raped her at a nearby park.
The Provincial Commissioner of the police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma extolled the cooperation of the three entities in securing these sentences. He believes that they will serve as a deterrent to other would-be criminals.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
