The Provincial Commissioner of SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, is delighted over a hefty sentence that was handed down on Thursday 25 March 2021, by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court which was sitting in Mbombela. The sentence was meted against Bongani Mthandazo Msimango, aged 36 year for raping seven women in Nkomazi area.
During the proceedings, the court heard how Msimango made the lives of defenseless women difficult by terrorising them thinking that he will get away with it. On 2 August 2013, he shamelessly preyed on a 78 year old pensioner in Tonga where he viciously assaulted her, tied her hands and robbed her of her personal belongings before brutally raping her.
Again in Tonga, on 22 November 2013, he took advantage of an 83 year old elderly woman where he reportedly raped her.
On 13 December 2014, Msimango is said to have continued committing these heinous acts where he assaulted and raped a third elderly woman, aged 70, before robbing her of her personal items including cash.
Msimango’s violent acts against women did not stop but continued where on 20 January 2015, he viciously assaulted a 35 year old woman, robbed her of her personal belongings and raped her as well.
On 28 September 2015, Msimango continued his reign of terror by attacking and raping a 66 year old woman and further robbed her of her personal items as well. Amongst the victims that Msimango traumatized, is a young girl who was 15 years old at the time, she was raped at Mangweni, near Tonga on 17 December 2015. It is said that he threatened her with a knife and assaulted her.
Another woman suffered a violent attack by Msimango as he repeatedly raped her in Tonga on Christmas day in 2018. All these matters were brought to the attention of the police where rape cases were registered and the suspect sought.
A team of dedicated investigators worked tirelessly to ensure that the suspect behind these rape cases is removed from the streets and put behind bars. The police then casted all their nets for the suspect and on 5 December 2019, a breakthrough was made where they arrested Msimango in Tonga.
All his bail attempts were unsuccessful until his trial and sentencing as follows:
On the two counts of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, he was sentenced to three years imprisonment for each count.
On the two counts of robbery, he was sentenced to three years imprisonment for each count.
On the seven counts of rape, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for each count.
The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and his particulars will be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders. He was also found to be unfit to work with children and his particulars will be entered in the National Child Protection Register. The Acting Judge of the High Court, Jansen van Rensburg, has ordered that all sentences to run concurrently with the life sentences.
General Zuma has further thanked members of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) for their hard work and relentless efforts in preventing the accused from preying on more victims. “The seven life sentences handed down to Msimango will definitely help victims to find closure and heal from the trauma that they went through as a result of this man’s heartless deeds, ” said General Zuma.
