The Maphumulo Regional Court in KwaDukuza in the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) sentenced a 25-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a 9-year-old girl in the Maphumulo area in 2022.
The accused and the complainant knew each other and the accused was living with the complainant’s family at the time of the offence.
KZN National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said on the day of the incident, the complainant’s mother went into town leaving the complainant in the care of the accused and other minor children.
“The accused called the complainant into the house and instructed the other children to play outside. He then raped her and told her to bathe afterwards. When the complainant’s mother returned from town, she noticed that the complainant was behaving unusually and that her skirt was wet. Upon questioning, the complainant confided in her mother that the accused had raped her and mentioned that he had done so on a previous occasion as well. The mother confronted the accused, but he denied the allegations,” she said.
Kara said the matter was reported to the police and the complainant was taken to the Stanger Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medico-legal examination and psychosocial support. The accused was subsequently arrested.
In court, Prosecutor Bongani Sibisi led the evidence of the complainant and her mother (as the first report witness). The doctor who conducted the medical examination on the complainant also testified on behalf of the State.
“In aggravation of sentence, the State submitted a Victim Impact Statement (VIS) compiled by the complainant and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Sfiso Nene. In her statement, the complainant said that the offence had shattered her dream of participating in the reed dance. She further mentioned that she now struggles to concentrate on her schoolwork,” she said.
Kara said in addition to the life imprisonment sentence, the accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm. She said the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.