Johannesburg – A Mpumalanga sangoma has helped the police in arresting a pedophile who raped an 11-year-old girl in the province.
The man, Jotham Simangaliso Vilakazi (50,) who hailed from Phola Park, was sentenced to double life in jail by the Piet Retief Regional Court yesterday.
Mpumalanga NPA spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said during the proceedings, the victim told the court that during 2018 and 2019 respectively, Vilakazi lured her to his house under the pretext that he wanted to give her the money he borrowed from her mother. Upon her arrival at his house, Vilakazi closed the door and raped her.
She said Vilakazi then threatened to plunder her younger sister too if the victim reported him to anyone.
“The victim’s mother later noticed that the complainant was behaving unusual as she lost appetite, was forgetful and withdrawn. This prompted the mother to request the intervention of a friend who was a principal traditional healer who examined the victim and noticed signs of sexual abuse. The matter was reported to the police and Vilakazi was arrested,” said Nyuswa.
During the trial, Vilakazi denied that he committed the offence but did not dispute that the victim was raped.
The State Advocate, Marlin Cairncross presented medical report which confirmed that the victim was sexually abused.
Cairncross contended that the evidence overwhelmingly pointed at Vilakazi as the perpetrator.
She said the court accepted the state’s argument and found the victim’s testimony honest and credible.
Nyuswa said a Victim Impact Report which revealed that the victim suffered both psychological and emotional abuse, was also handed in court as part of the evidence against Vilakazi.
“The court found no compelling and substantial factors for not imposing mandatory prescribed sentence. Vilakazi was sentenced to life imprisonment on each count. The court ordered both sentences to run concurrently, the effective sentence being life,” she said.
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