Byline: Refeloe Letsoisa
26 July 2024
Siyabonga Lawrence Ngwenya (21), a rapist who targeted children in the Nkomazi area appeared for his sentencing at the Boschfontein Regional Court on Thursday 25 July 2024.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, has welcomed the substantial sentence handed down to Siyabonga.
On the first rape, the accused preyed upon a 07-year-old girl at Kamhlushwa on 15 October 2019. Thereafter, a case was opened and investigated by the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit from Tonga, leading to the arrest of the accused on 22 October 2019. At the time, the accused was 16-years-old, and he was released under the care of a guardian due to his underage status.
The accused’s criminal conduct continued, and on 08 July 2021, he raped an 11-year-old girl at Mzinti Trust while she was visiting her grandmother. A rape case was opened, and the FCS members conducted an investigation, which led to his arrest.
On the first count of rape, the accused was convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
For this second count of rape, the accused was also convicted and sentenced to 22 years of imprisonment.
The sentences will run concurrently, and the accused’s name will be entered into the Register of Sexual Offenders. He will no longer be allowed to work with children.
“The SAPS is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society, especially children, from such heinous crimes.
We commend the dedicated work of the investigating team, and we trust that this sentence will send a strong message that such criminal behaviour will not be tolerated.
We hope the sentence will serve as a deterrent to others who may consider emulating the actions of the accused,” said Major General Dr. Zeph Mkhwanazi.
