Evander court sends domestic abuser to 10 years behind bars
Nearly a third of the cases reported at the Evander Court daily are crimes of gender-based violence and domestic violence.
The Evander Regional Court sentenced Lucky William Vilakazi (43) to 11 years of imprisonment on July 24. The court convicted him of violating a protection order and assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Magistrate Charmain La Marque handed Vilakazi a one-year imprisonment on count one, for contravening a protection order, and a 10-year sentence for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently. The effective sentence is 10 years of direct imprisonment. The court further declared Vilakazi unfit to possess a firearm.
The complainant and the accused lived together with their two-year-old child. After their relationship became volatile, the complainant applied for a protection order against the accused.
On the evening of August 4, 2024, Vilakazi knocked on the victim’s (42) door at the Marikana location, Kinross. She refused to open, and Vilakazi forcefully entered and assaulted her.
ALSO CHECK: Boy (6) from Leandra suffers from a femoral hernia and urgently needs surgery
He hit the victim with his fist and kicked her with his boots, aiming for her face, in front of their minor child. It appears that previous assaults happened in front of the boy.
Vilakazi pleaded not guilty in court, claiming the complainant was assaulted by other women at the location. During the police investigation, it also transpired that Vilakazi had 13 previous convictions ranging from rape, assault, robbery, housebreakings to escaping custody.
At the time of the assault, he was out on parole. In her address to the court, prosecutor Nolwazi Majola argued that Vilakazi showed no remorse and said GBV and domestic violence (DV) are an escalating pandemic in SA and that the court needs to send a message to other assailants by giving the accused a harsh punishment.
“Nearly a third of the cases reported at the Evander Court daily are crimes of GBV and DV,” said Monica Nyuswa, spokesperson for the Evander Court.
She said that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) called on communities to stay vigilant, report GBV and support survivors through the Thuthuzela Care Centres, which provide medical, psychological and legal assistance.
“We commend the bravery of the victim in reporting the crime. This sentence affirms the NPA’s relentless pursuit of GBV and DV perpetrators, ensuring accountability and restoring dignity for victims,” concluded Nyuswa.
ALSO CHECK: Standerton Magistrate’s Court postpones bail application of man found in possession child porn
