23 years for Inchanga rapist
A man was sentenced to 23 years for the rape of a minor.
On Monday 23 June, Pietermaritzburg Regional Court convicted and sentenced Samkelo Mkhize (20) to a total of 23 years imprisonment for two counts of rape.
He was convicted after the magistrate heard how he repeatedly raped the victim. He was sentenced to 15 years for the first count of rape and eight years for the second count of rape. Both sentences will run concurrently.
On Sunday, 30 October 2011 at approximately 1pm, Mkhize approached the victim, a boy who was 17 years at that time, who was playing with his friend at Fredville Panekeni Ward, Inchanga.
He forcefully grabbed the youngster and raped him. The victim was threatened by the accused not to report the case as he had raped him several times previously.
The victim reported the incident to his mother, thereafter a case of rape was opened at the Inchanga Police station and it was taken over by the Pinetown FCS Unit.
Mkhize was then arrested on 11 November 2011 and made several court appearance until he was convicted.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Commissioner Mmamonnye Ngobeni welcomed the heavy sentence handed down to the accused.
“This will serve as an example to those would be rapists who target and abuse our vulnerable women and children. I appreciate the good work done by the Hillcrest detective members that led to the conviction of the accused,” she said.
