A 41-year-old scholar transport driver from Mamelodi, Pretoria, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a nine-year-old girl.
The Pretoria Regional Court convicted the man, finding that he had exploited the vulnerability of a young child. The court ruled that there were no substantial or compelling circumstances to justify a lesser sentence than the prescribed minimum of life imprisonment.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the incident occurred in June 2021.
According to the NPA, the driver invited the victim and her seven-year-old brother to his home after dropping the boy off following the school day. The children told their mother they were going outside to play before making their way to the man's house.
Mahanjana said that once the children arrived, the driver gave the boy money to buy tea bags from a nearby shop. When the victim wanted to accompany her brother, the man instructed her to remain behind.
After the boy left, the driver allegedly locked the door, undressed himself and the child, and raped her.
The assault ended when the victim's brother returned to the house. The driver then allegedly threatened to kill the children's mother if they told anyone about what had happened.
Before the children left, he reportedly gave them R4 to buy chicken heads.
The victim disclosed the assault to her mother about a month later, leading to the matter being reported to authorities.
During the trial, the accused pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. However, the court found the State had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt and imposed a life sentence.