A 32-year-old delivery man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Nkomazi regional court for the rape of a 14-year-old girl.
The incident is said to have happened during the Covid-19 national lockdown on March 31 2020.
The young girl was returning to her parental home in Tonga from her aunt’s place in Mangweni in Mpumalanga when she was confronted by her attacker.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the girl’s tormentor, known as Mashaba, was working as a delivery crew member for a well-known liquor distributor in Nkomazi at the time of the attack.
Mohlala said Mashaba pounced on the girl who was walking alone on the road between Tonga and Mangweni.
“Mashaba immediately alighted from a [delivery] truck at the next stop after passing the victim, as they [crew members] were already done with deliveries,” said Mohlala.
“Mashaba walked back to the direction where the victim was walking next to sugar cane farms. He dragged the victim to a farm and raped her.”
The victim’s mother opened a case of rape at Tonga police station, however, the identity of the suspect was known at the time.
A year later on July 7 2021, the victim identified the suspect while he was at work offloading liquor from a truck at a local liquor outlet.
“She took all the necessary details she could get and immediately called the investigating officer,” said Mohlala.
“An investigation was immediately launched and it was revealed that the truck belonged to one of local liquor distribution companies.”
The suspect was identified by the victim and later arrested.
