A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to two life terms by the Nquthu Regional Court for the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in the Mxangala area in October 2022.
The accused and the victim were acquainted. On October 29, 2022, the victim was in the company of her cousin, the cousin's boyfriend, and the accused. When the cousin and her boyfriend prepared to leave for a night vigil, they asked the accused to depart so the victim could secure her rondavel and sleep.
However, the accused insisted the victim would be safe with him, stating he was still pursuing a romantic relationship with her. The cousin rebuked him, emphasizing that the victim was a minor.
After the cousin and her boyfriend left, the victim was found dead outside the rondavel in the early hours of the following morning.
The cousin informed her father and the local induna, leading to the accused's arrest. A preliminary investigation revealed that the victim had also been raped.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara stated that Prosecutor Mphakamiseni Joel Justice Mdlalose presented evidence from the victim's grandmother and cousin, as well as postmortem findings, during the trial. Mdlalose argued that the accused had deprived the victim's family of her potential to secure employment and improve their lives.
The accused received a life sentence for both the murder and the rape. Additionally, he was declared unfit to possess a firearm, and the court ordered his inclusion in the National Register for Sex Offenders.
"The NPA hopes that sentences of this nature serve as a deterrent to like-minded individuals," Ramkisson-Kara concluded.