Derrick Fanikie Mnisi (39), from the Shabalala Trust settlement near Hazyview, will spend the rest of his life behind bars after the Mpumalanga High Court sentenced him for a string of brutal gender-based violence offences committed in Bushbuckridge.

The court sentenced Mnisi yesterday (July 28) to two life terms and an additional 15 years’ imprisonment after convicting him on two counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping and one count of robbery with aggravating circumstances, reports Lowvelder.

Terror in Shabalala Trust and Dwarsloop

The offences were committed between March 2022 and October 2023 in the Shabalala Trust and Dwarsloop areas of Bushbuckridge.

The court heard that the accused, acting together with an unknown accomplice who remains at large, would knock on victims’ doors and, when they refused to open, fire gunshots to intimidate them into granting access. Once inside, they raped and robbed the victims before fleeing the scene. One victim was gang-raped in the presence of her three-year-old child, while another was raped in the presence of her husband.

During the first incident on March 2, 2022, at Shabalala Trust, Mnisi and his accomplice went to the complainant’s home and knocked on the door. When she refused to open, the accused fired gunshots and forcibly entered the house. They found the complainant sleeping with her three-year-old child and raped her in turn in the child’s presence. The men also demanded cash and a cellphone. When the complainant informed them that she had no money, they fled the scene.

In the second incident, on October 12, 2023 in Dwarsloop, the accused and his accomplice entered the complainants’ bedroom, pointed a firearm at them and demanded cash and cellphones. They forced the complainants into their own vehicle and drove towards a local shopping mall to withdraw money. Along the way, they diverted to a secluded area where they ordered the husband to lie on the ground before taking turns raping his wife. They further stole household items and groceries valued at more than R19 000 before fleeing.

DNA evidence leads to arrest

Both victims were taken to a local medical facility, where they received medical treatment, support and counselling.

Mnisi was later arrested at his hideout in Marite and linked to the offences through DNA evidence.

During the trial, the accused pleaded guilty to some of the charges but claimed that one of the complainants was a prostitute and that the sexual intercourse had been consensual.

State Advocate Zilindile Phindiso successfully proved the remaining charges by presenting compelling evidence, including the testimony of the victims, who positively identified the accused as one of the perpetrators.

State pushes for maximum sentence

In aggravation of sentence, Phindiso argued that the offences were extremely serious and had devastating and long-lasting consequences for the victims. She submitted that the accused pleaded guilty only in the face of overwhelming evidence and urged the court to impose the prescribed minimum sentences to deter would-be offenders.

The court also considered victim impact statements facilitated by court preparation officer Nomfundo Mokoena. The statements detailed the severe emotional, psychological and financial impact the crimes had on the victims and their families.

One victim informed the court that he had been compelled to enhance security measures at his home following the traumatic ordeal.

During sentencing proceedings, it further emerged that Mnisi has previous convictions for robbery with aggravating circumstances and is currently serving a sentence for escaping from lawful custody, an offence committed in August 2025.

In imposing sentence, the court took into account the seriousness and brutality of the offences and found no substantial and compelling circumstances to justify a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentences. Mnisi was sentenced to life imprisonment on each count of rape, four years’ imprisonment for kidnapping, and 15 years’ imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances.

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