Two men have been sentenced by the Greytown Regional Court in separate rape cases involving teenage family members in the Kranskop area in the Umzinyathi District.

A 45-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of raping his 13-year-old granddaughter in the Mambulu area in July 2022.

 SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Siyabonga Nkwanyana said the girl had been returning from a tuckshop when the accused followed her and dragged her into his homestead.

“It was further established during the investigation that this was not the first incident,” Nkwanyana said.

Accused declared unfit to possess firearm

The case was investigated by Detective Sergeant Sibusiso Gamede of the Greytown Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit.

The accused was arrested, denied bail and convicted on April 30.

He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm, and his name will be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

In a separate matter heard on April 29, a 29-year-old man was sentenced to 18 years’ direct imprisonment for raping his 15-year-old niece in the Nseleni area in September 2022.

The matter was also investigated by Detective Sergeant Gamede.

Umzinyathi District Commissioner Major General Francis Slambert welcomed the sentences and praised the investigating officer for securing successful convictions.