Newtown resident gets life for rape and murder of cousin
The Mpumalanga High Court sitting in Middleburg sentenced a 25 year-old man of Newtown, Nkosinathi Nzimande, to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of his 18 year-old cousin, Monica Lukhele.
On 11 July 2020, Nzimande went to attend a party with his family in Tweefontein and Lukhele was also in attendance.
Both Lukhele and Nzimande later went to a tavern and on their way back home, Nzimande dragged Lukhele into a field near the garage where he proceeded to rape her.
After Lukhele threatened to tell the family, a fight ensued where Nzimande then hit her with rock and strangled her.
Lukhele died at the scene.
Afterwards, Nzimande, who was covered in blood then went to a house nearby to ask for clean clothes.
He then handed himself over to the police, made confession and a pointing out of the deceased.
Nzimande claimed consent on the rape.
The state advocate, Mmamphai Tshwane, led with evidence of a police officer who testified from what he observed from the crime scene, the medical doctor who declared Lukhele as dead, as well as the evidence of the witness who gave Nzimande clean clothes.
The witness told the court that he saw Nzimande wearing clothes covered in blood but did not tell him about the killing of the deceased.
Tshwane argued that the deceased was threatened not to report the incident of rape and Nzimande further planned to kill her on the spot by strangling her.
She added that when the crime was committed the deceased was defenseless and unarmed.
Judge Bruce Langa expressed dismay at the gruesome manner at which Lukhele was murdered by a relative.
He sentenced Nzimande to life imprisonment.
The NPA welcomed the conviction and sentence as it a victory towards ensuring that women and children live in freedom and security.
