The Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court has sentenced Mluleki Zicina to life imprisonment for raping his 14-year-old step-granddaughter repeatedly in 2019.
Zicin (59) exploited his relationship with the victim’s grandmother to commit the horrific crimes in Dobsonville, Soweto.
The incident came to light when the grandmother found the accused on top of the 14-year-old girl, busy raping her.
Following a report of the case at the Dobsonville police station, Zicina was arrested on May 21, 2019, after investigations conducted by Sergeant Mabungu showed that the accused had repeatedly raped her while promising her money and telling her to keep quiet.
The state called the victim’s grandmother, who testified that the child now suffers from severe emotional, physical, and psychological trauma.
She struggles with challenges, including anxiety, aggression, low self-esteem, and poor academic performance. The prosecutor highlighted these impacts during the sentencing process.
Betrayal of trust
The prosecutor, Arnold Limekhaya, stressed the gravity of the offence, the vulnerability of rape victims, and the betrayal of trust by the accused, who abused his position of authority and the principle of ubuntu.
The prosecutor underscored the permanent scars inflicted on the victim and the broader societal outcry against such crimes, which deprive children of their constitutional rights to safety and freedom.
Magistrate Anneline Africa, in delivering the sentence, considered the extreme cruelty and manipulative nature of the accused’s actions, the degree of violence used, and the profound harm caused to the vulnerable and defenceless victim.
The court noted his exploitation of the victim’s mother through alcohol and his pretense of being a trusted figure.
All cases of sexual violence encroach on the rights to dignity and privacy of the victims, as enshrined in the constitution; hence, the National Prosecuting Authority aggressively prosecutes these cases.
