The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, has welcomed hefty sentence meted against a 38-year-old Sthembiso Nathaniel Kubheka, a Pastor, who was arrested for sexually assaulting boys. The Witbank Regional Court handed down the sentence on Monday, 31 August 2020.
Kubheka took advantage of the boys by portraying himself as a reliable Pastor, where he would host revival crusades in different areas of KZN and across Mpumalanga provinces. In those crusades, he would then make friends with the victims and lure them through social media platforms to visit him in Vosman near Witbank.
Around December 2015, Kubheka had already managed to build trust with his victims and even enticed them by promising to conduct special prayers in private for them. Once they arrived at his place, the accused would make sexual advances. About five males, then aged between 17 and 23, have fallen victims to this man’s conniving trap.
The police were notified about Kubheka’s actions and they investigated the matter after cases were opened, where Kubheka was arrested on 27 January 2016. During trial, he could not succeed in defending himself against overwhelming evidence brought against him hence his well-deserved sentence which was handed down as follows:
Count 1 – rape, sentenced to 10 years
Count 2 – sexual assault, sentenced to 10 years
Count 3 – sexual assault, sentenced to 10 years
Count 4 – sexual assault, sentenced to 10 years
Count 5 – sexual assault, sentenced to 10 years.
When sentencing was handed down, the court indicated that Kubheka will not have an option to apply for a parole on count 1, 2 and 3 but he will instead languish effectively in prison for 30 years. Meanwhile count 4 and 5 will run concurrently with count 1, 2 and 3.
The accused was also found to be unfit to possess a firearm and his name will be entered into the register of sexual offenders.
General Zuma has commended the sterling work done by the astute teams comprising of investigators, Prosecution as well as the Judiciary which led to the hefty sentences. He has also praised the victims for their bravery in coming forward to open cases as well as testifying against the accused. “We believe that the sentence will deter others from following the accused’s footsteps and we also trust that it will renew hope to victims of crime, ” said General Zuma.
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