Justice for ‘tainted’ teen
Teenage girl stabbed with a broken bottle, raped near a cemetery and left for dead
An adolescent; assaulted, stabbed and defiled near the resting place of the dead.
Orlando Pirates were set to take on Kaizer Chiefs on April 14, 2013.
Since the showdown was only being broadcast on DSTV, a 17-year-old girl and two of her friends decided to watch the game at a local tavern in Blaauwbosch.
On their way home, Siphiwe Mwelase attacked the girls and brutally assaulted them, with a bottle as his weapon of choice.
Two of the girls were lucky enough to escape his clutches, leaving the 17-year-old to fend for herself.
Amid the aberration, the accused stabbed the teen, wounding her so severely she was unable to move.
Mwelase dragged her to a nearby cemetery and raped her.
He then left her to die, unconscious and exposed.
After some time, she regained consciousness and mustered up the strength to walk home.
Police were summoned and shortly after the case was opened, Mwelase went into hiding.
“We worked tirelessly to find him, but he managed to evade arrest for four days,” said SAPS spokesperson, Captain Shooz Magudulela.
On April 18, Detective Sergeant Shadrack Kubheka from the Newcastle’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit received information pertaining to the suspect’s whereabouts.
According to their informant, Mwelase was scheduled to leave for Johannesburg, aware police were hot on his heels.
The accused sought refuge at a friend’s home, but this did not deter Constable TG Mbhele and Constable Mahlaba from making the arrest.
Sgt Kubheka successfully opposed Mwelase’s bail application in court and the accused was remanded in custody pending trial.
The court handed down judgement on June 12; a day of reckoning for the teen.
“The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment,” said Capt Magudulela.
“The victim is satisfied with the sentence.”
Attributing the successful conviction to the stellar work of the investigating officer and the State, the victim can finally move on.
Her bravery and will to live far exceed the power of words.
The physical wounds may have healed, but the emotional scars remain.
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