A church leader in Rustenburg, North West has been found guilty of contravening section 22 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 2007.
Thirty-six-year old Zoliswa Menziwa appeared in the Rustenburg regional court on Wednesday on a charge of flashing.
She was found guilty as charged and sentenced to two years in jail wholly suspended for five years.
Indecent exposure or flashing is when someone shows their genitals in order to scare or upset another person.
Police spokesperson Captain Sam Tselanyane said the woman’s sentencing emanates from an incident where she was found with five other congregants who were naked at a house used as a church building.
In their presence inside the church at Sondela Phase 1, Boitekong outside Rustenburg on June 1 2022 were 11 under-age children.
Children handed over to social workers
Said Tselanyane: “The convict was the only individual [in the house] who was found clothed at the time. She was allegedly the leader of the church.
“Subsequent to preliminary investigations we found that all the children – six boys and five girls – were between the ages of four and 12.
“The children were removed from the house and handed over to social workers for intervention, and ultimately placed under the care of other family members.”
The case was allocated to the Rustenburg family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit for further investigation.
According to police, thorough investigations were conducted by the unit’s commander, Colonel Mosidi Mafora and Warrant Officer Phiri Mfetane, and the accused was found guilty as charged.
The other five congregants were acquitted.
Commissioner welcomes sentencing
Menziwa’s two-year imprisonment was wholly suspended for a period of five years on condition that she is not convicted of the same charge during the period of the suspension.
North West provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena, has welcomed the sentencing of Menziwa.
He said the SA Police Service remains committed to fighting crimes against women and children in the province.
Kwena said: “Defending the vulnerable will always remain a priority for the men and women in blue in the province.”
He lauded the investigating team for a job well done and in ensuring that the perpetrators of such crimes face the full might of the law.
