The Nongoma Regional Court has sentenced a 44-year-old man to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of raping his 17-year-old daughter in July 2025.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said evidence presented in court revealed that the accused confronted his daughter about visiting her boyfriend approximately a week before the rape.
The court heard that the teenager had gone to visit her boyfriend at night. The following morning, her father discovered that she was not at home and later saw her returning with a boy.
When questioned, she told him that the boy was her boyfriend.
A week later, the accused confronted his daughter, telling her that he was angry with her before raping her. He allegedly raped her again a few hours later.
The incident came to light when the teenager's friend noticed her crying at school a few days later and alerted the school principal.
A social worker was subsequently notified, and the teenager disclosed that her father had raped her. The matter was reported to the police, and the accused was arrested later that day.
During sentencing proceedings, prosecutor Sboniso Nkambule presented a victim impact statement compiled by the complainant with the assistance of court preparation officer Bhekithemba Sithole.
In her statement, the teenager expressed her distress at being abused by the person who was supposed to protect her. She also urged the court to impose a harsh sentence to protect her younger sibling from the accused.
The court sentenced the man to life imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm. His name will also be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The NPA welcomed the sentence, saying it hoped the punishment would deter others from committing sexual offences against children.
Ramkisson-Kara said parents had a fundamental responsibility to protect and care for their children, adding that the accused had grossly abused his position of trust and violated his daughter's safety and dignity.