Child leads parents to rapist
THE Ermelo Regional Court in Mpumalanga has convicted and sentenced Nkosinathi Thwala, 38, to life imprisonment for the rape of a girl aged 7.
The rape happened in March 2019, said Mpumalanga spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Monica Nyuswa.
“The victim was on her way home from school when the accused (Thwala) called her into his shack. He raped her and gave her a R10 note,” said Nyuswa.
When the victim finally got home, her mother noticed she was holding a R10 note.
Upon enquiries, the little girl then told her mother she was raped by the man who gave her the money.
“She further told her mother she could point to the man who raped her and the place where he resides. The victim’s parents went to look for the accused and found him in his shack,” said Nyuswa.
“They confronted him and the police were called, while the minor was taken to a nearby medical centre for treatment.”
In court, Thwala pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations.
Prosecutor Chane Rothman led the evidence of the victim, and the report of a forensic doctor, which was consistent with the victim’s version.
The officer who arrested Thwala also testified from what he had observed when apprehending the accused man.
The court found Thwala guilty.
“In aggravation of sentence, the prosecutor argued that the evidence of a scooter and the bed inside the accused’s shack was compelling because the victim told the mother about the description of the shack before they saw it, as well as the R10 the accused gave the victim,” said Nyuswa.
A victim impact statement, where the victim drew a picture of a sad little girl crying, was presented.
The child said that since the incident, she has been living in fear as Thwala threatened to kill her if she told. Thwala was sentenced to life imprisonment.