The director of public prosecutions in Mpumalanga, Nkebe Kanyane, has condemned acts of violence against women and children following a successful conviction of a rapist.
The culprit, 34, appeared at the Nelspruit sexual offences court on Friday and was sentenced to 22 years of direct imprisonment for raping his 17-year-old biological daughter.
According to the regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Monica Nyuswa, the incident occurred in April 2019 when the victim visited her father’s home for him to perform a ceremony for her.
“In April 2019, the victim was summoned to visit her grandparent’s place so that her father can perform the ritual for her. She left her mother’s place, where she was residing, and went to granny’s place, whom she found alone. She was instructed to wait for the father,” said Nyuswa.
“The accused came back late but had not bought the necessary items to perform the ritual, and the victim had to be taken home, as she could not sleep over. The father offered to accompany her back to her mother’s place.
“Along the way near the Mahushu gravesite, he threatened her with a firearm and instructed her to undress. He [put on a condom and] then raped her.”
Nyuswa said the victim reported the incident a month after it had happened, and the father was concomitantly arrested. The man later pleaded guilty “as the state had overwhelming evidence against [him]”.
“The victim testified in aggravation of sentence and informed the court that she was disappointed and scared of her father. Regional prosecutor John Mahlwele submitted to the court that offences of this nature are prevalent in this country, where victims are raped by their fathers who are supposed to protect and care for them. The court sentenced the accused to 22 years of direct imprisonment.”
Reiterating the authority’s stance on the matter, Nkanyane said the sentence corroborates the efforts of the justice cluster “in maintaining law and order, thus ensuring that justice prevails for the victims of gender-based violence”.
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