A MAN convicted of raping his nine-year-old niece was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Durban Regional Court recently.

The 39-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and two years’ imprisonment for contravening the Immigration Amendment Act of 2011.

The accused is a Zimbabwean national and is the uncle of the victim. He was charged with rape last year after his niece alerted her teacher about rape.

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According to the information received from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the accused has been raping the victim from 2020 to 2023 in the Merebank and Sea View areas.

The victim was nine years old when the abuse began. A case was opened in 2025.

Regional spokesperson for the NPA, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said the evidence presented in court revealed that the accused was the victim’s maternal uncle and he lived with her family.

“He raped her during that time. Even after the victim and her family moved to another area, the accused found opportunities to be alone with her and raped her. The matter came to light in 2025, when the victim confided in her teacher. The matter was reported to the police, and the victim was taken to hospital for medical assistance. The accused was subsequently arrested,” she said.

In court, prosecutor Tanuja Bechan led the evidence of the victim, her teacher, a relative, and the medical doctor who examined the victim.

Ramkisson-Kara said, “The victim said that she had been a bubbly person before the abuse, but that she had changed. She described feeling angry all the time and depressed.”

The NPA welcomed the conviction and sentence.

“The accused abused his position of trust and sexually violated a child he should have protected. Children are among the most vulnerable members of our community and must be protected from all forms of abuse,” Ramkisson-Kara added.

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