The Mpumalanga Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma lauded the police on a job well done in securing a life imprisonment and jail term on tow rapists in separate courts.

 

On Monday, 19 February, in the Mkobolo Regional Court in Kwaggafontein imposed a 30 year jail sentence to Lucas Dumisani Mahlangu aged 54, for raping and impregnated a 13 year old girl in 2014. It emerged when the victim got sick and her mother took her to the local clinic for medical treatment. Surprisingly, she was told that her daughter was pregnant. Upon investigation by the mother, it was discovered that the victim was raped by her neighbour on several occasions, hence the sentence. The other accused, David Boy Mthethwa aged 31, was granted a life sentence at Piet Retief Regional Court on Tuesday, 13 February, for raping his nine year old niece.

 

During the court hearing, it was mentioned that Mthethwa called the victim outside while she was watching television with other family members. He gave her money and took her to the toilet where he forcibly raped her. The elder sister of the victim, who is a minor too, went to look for her, that is when she noticed that Mthethwa locked the victim in the toilet and she reported the matter to their mother, who in turn called the police, hence the sentencing. Mthethwa was further declared unfit to possess a firearm and the court further ordered that his name must be recorded in the register for sexual offences.

 

The provincial Commissioner welcomed the sentences and further said, he believes these sentences will serve as a deterrent to other potential offenders.