Volksrust child rapist sent behind bars for the rest of his life
It was also revealed that as they were walking next to the Mahohwane stream, Mazibuko took the victim’s shoe and threw it into the stream.
The provincial SAPS commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, expressed satisfaction after Sibusiso Walter Mazibuko (37), a former security guard, was sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
According to a recent statement by the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, the Volksrust Regional Court sentenced Mazibuko on April 10 after he raped a girl (7) on March 18, 2015, as she was returning from school.
The court heard how the culprit found the victim walking with her friends. Mazibuko ordered the children to take an unusual route home.
The children complied with his instructions due to their respect and trust in him as a security guard.
He joined them as they travelled back home.
It was also revealed that as they were walking next to the Mahohwane stream, Mazibuko took the victim’s shoe and threw it into the stream.
He ordered the other children to go home while the victim fetched her shoe. As soon as the other children left, the rape took place. He left the girl afterwards alone to fend for herself.
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A passerby found the girl, who immediately called the police. A rape case was opened at Volksrust SAPS, which was allocated to the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit for further investigation.
The FCS members gathered crucial evidence which led to Maxibuko’s arrest on May 25, 2023. At the time of his arrest, Mazibuko was still working as a security guard.
He was taken to court, where the detectives successfully opposed his bail. He was in custody until his sentencing to life imprisonment.
Manamela commended the investigation team, the prosecution team, as well as the judiciary for the job well done.
“Perpetrators of gender-based violence remain a challenge in our society and it becomes disturbing when people entrusted with the responsibility to protect, are found to be the ones perpetrating these crimes against the vulnerable,” she concluded.
“We hope this sentence will serve as a deterrence to others who might consider emulating the actions of the culprit.”
