Thulani Khumalo will spend the rest of his life behind bars after he was found guilty of rape and attempted murder of children. He also received eight years which will run concurrently with his life imprisonment.
The 47-year-old Khumalo was sentenced by the magistrate’s court in Pretoria on Wednesday and his name has been added to the national register for sexual offenders.
Lumka Mahanjana, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, said Khumalo was convicted of the rape of a 13-year-old girl and an attempted rape of an 11-year-old girl at a hotel in Pretoria.
“In November 2020, the two minors were walking back home from the shop in Saulsville, Atteridgeville when they met Khumalo, who forced them into his car and drove to town in Pretoria. In town, he went into a certain restaurant and instructed them to order alcohol,” said Mahanjana.
“He then took the children to a hotel where he booked a room, telling the receptionist that the children were his and that he will sleep on the floor.”
When they got to the room, Khumalo started raping the 13-year-old minor. The 11-year-old managed to escape and called for help, according to Mahanjana.
“Upon hearing the screams, the hotel’s security guard rushed [into the room] and found Khumalo on the act. He was apprehended by security, handed over to the police and arrested.”
In court, he pleaded guilty and asked the court to consider his remorse when imposing a prison sentence.
Mahanjana said: “The prosecutor told the court that rape is a violation of victims’ [rights], and the two minors had to grow up faster because Khumalo decided to take their innocence. Khumalo committed these offences while he was out on probation for a similar offence of rape, where he was sentenced to seven years.”
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