Justice has been served at last for the Eastern Cape rape survivor who lost her eyesight after her attacker stabbed her and gouged her eyes.
This after the Eastern Cape high court sitting in Ntabankulu sentenced Velisani Mngani to more than 20 years behind bars for the attack.
Mngani, 23, was convicted and sentenced to 30 years for rape, 13 years for robbery, eight years for attempted murder, and five years for kidnapping.
The sentences will run concurrently with the 30-year jail term for rape.
Before the sentencing, Mngani entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the state and explained a series of events on the day of the attack.
He informed the court that in April 2022, he saw the teenage girl walking alone in a forest in Ngombonqani location in the Cabazana area of EmaXesibeni (formerly Mount Ayliff).
Repeatedly raped in the forest
The convicted rapist said he ambushed the teenager, dragged her deep into a forest and repeatedly raped her.
According Mngani, the victim, who was 16 years old at the time, fought back but still he managed to overpower her.
The court heard that after he had raped her, Mngani killed his victim to avoid being identified because they came from the same village.
He strangled her and used a blunt object to stab her, poked her eyes out and left her for dead. However, the teenager survived the attack.
The case was postponed several times after Mngani was booked in for psychiatric evaluation, which confirmed that he was fit to stand trial.
State advocate Chumile Mkentane said the victim, has has since been moved to a school for people living with disability in Pretoria, now entirely relies on her family for everything.
The court, however, took into consideration mitigating factors and agreed that there were substantial and compelling circumstances justifying departure from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
Eastern Cape director of public prosecutions Barry Madolo commended the prosecutor and the investigating team for ensuring that justice has been served.
