Eastern Cape child rapist sentenced
A 27-year-old man has been convicted and sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for rape by the Butterworth Regional Court in the Eastern Cape.
The accused, identified as Akhona Mpaphela, raped a seven-year-old girl on February 20, 2013 in the evening at Mthwaku Village, in Ngqamakhwe, said Captain Jackson Manatha.
The victim was with her younger sister when she was accosted by Mpaphela, added Manatha.
It is believed the children were left alone at home by their father, who had gone out to look for piece jobs around the village, as their mother died some time ago.
Mpaphela is a neighbour of the young girls, and that evening he noticed their father was not yet at home. He then decided to rape the elder sister of the two, said Manatha.
“The victim noticed him and knew her attacker very well, as there was a light outside her home when she was dragged and raped at an open veld not far from her home,” added Manatha.
Butterworth Cluster Commander Brigadier Mbeko Sibhidla welcomed the sentence handed yesterday to Mpaphela and hoped it would serve as a lesson to other would-be rapists.
In a separate incident, a 37-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Madadeni Regional Court in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal for raping a six-year-old girl.
The accused, identified as Thulani Cebekhulu, reportedly raped the child at a traditional ceremony he had been invited to in October 2012.
Other children who were in the yard witnessed the incident and reported it to their grandmother.
The victim was then questioned and confirmed the rape.
– Caxton News Service
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