The Ladysmith Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) recently recorded good convictions in several of their cases.
On Wednesday, February 17, the Regional Court found a 27-year-old man guilty of raping four children and sentenced him to four life sentences.
The conviction relates to a Besters case which happened in October 2013 in the Driefontein area. The accused, who cannot be named due to his familial relationship to one of the victims, mentioned to some people that he was luring children with sweets and then raping them. One of those present reported what they had heard to the mother of one of the children, who in turn reported the matter to police. On the same day, police arrested the accused.
Seven children, all aged between five and seven years old, were identified as victims of the accused.
After extensive counselling with the SAPS Forensic Social Worker, only four of the children were able to testify in court, resulting in the four life sentences.
In another case of rape which happened on the afternoon of June 16, 2013, a 12-year-old girl visited a tuck shop in the Steadville area. While there, she was forced into an adjoining room where she was raped by two men. After her ordeal, she immediately reported the incident. The two accused were arrested by police at their residences.
Warrant Officer Masengemi was tasked with the investigation and he roped in the assistance of Lieutenant Ndulini, the Forensic Social Worker, who assisted to prepare the young victim for court. The case was heard in the Ezakheni Backlog Court recently and the accused, Bongumusa Handsome Hudla (21), was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and his name is to be included in the National Register for Sexual Offenders.
The second accused, who cannot be named because he was a juvenile at the time, was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.
The investigating officer, Warrant Officer MJ Masengemi, stated that the SAPS Forensic Social Worker, Lieutenant Ndulini, made it so much easier for him to be able to communicate with the victims, especially the very young children.
He also went on to thank prosecutors Miss Mpomane and Miss Zungu, who were both a great help in guiding the investigations.
Constable IS Ntshingila from the same unit recorded convictions in another three cases.
In a case of rape which occurred in July 2014 in the Dival area near Ekuvukeni, a six-year-old girl was playing when a 16-year-old boy from the area threatened her with a screwdriver and then raped her. The child’s aunt discovered that something had happened with the child and reported the matter to police.
The next day, the suspect was arrested. He was recently sentenced in the Ezakheni Backlog Court to five years’ imprisonment, which includes a suspended sentence and correctional supervision, after he pleaded guilty to rape.
In a case of sexual assault which happened in the Ekuvukeni area on February 14 this year, the accused, 22-year-old Mandesi Msezane, approached the home of an 18-year-old girl and finding her alone at home, he began touching her inappropriately.
The girl reported the matter to police and the suspect was arrested. He was sentenced at the Ekuvukeni Magistrate’s Court to 12 months in jail.
In yet another rape case which occurred during February 2011, a woman was walking to her boyfriend’s house in the Hlathi area of Ekuvukeni when she began feeling insecure and asked a man she knew to accompany her.
As the two were walking along, the man suddenly grabbed her and forced her into the bushes where he raped her.
As soon as she reached her residence, she reported the incident. A case docket was opened at Ekuvukeni SAPS and it was transferred to the Ladysmith FCS Unit for further investigation. The suspect was arrested and appeared in court, where he was granted bail. He failed to appear in court on the date of trial and fled the area. A warrant of arrest was issued in his name, and detectives traced and re-arrested him last year.
He appeared in court and bail was then refused. Recently, Sphamandla Paul Nxumalo (28) was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment in the Ekuvukeni Magistrate’s Court. He was also found unfit to possess a firearm.
