Man jailed for 23 years after raping traditional healer in Mpumalanga
The Nelspruit Regional Court on Friday sentenced a 37-year-old man to 23 years' direct imprisonment for raping a traditional healer, Lowvelder reports.
NPA spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said the victim and the accused cannot be named to protect the identity of a minor child involved in the incident.
According to reports, in early June, 2019, the accused went to the complainant's home in Zwelisha Trust outside Mbombela, carrying a firearm, and gained entry by pretending to need treatment.
'Once in the house, the accused locked the door and proceeded to rape the victim in the presence of her three-year-old son. He then threatened to kill her and her son should she report the rape to anyone. The victim confided in her sister and later reported the incident to the police,' said Nyuswa.
The accused pleaded not guilty, claiming he was in a relationship with the victim. To prove the state's case beyond reasonable doubt, regional court prosecutor Leana Jones presented compelling evidence from the victim's sister, which was corroborated by the victim. It also emerged during the trial that the accused was known for being violent.
'Jones emphasised that women should not be reduced to mere objects and condemned to the persistent violence they face in South Africa. She added that the accused showed no remorse for his actions, describing them as a heinous violation of human dignity, and urged the court to impose a suitable sentence,' said Nyuswa.
She added that the NPA calls on South Africans to unite against gender-based violence and to foster safe environments where women and children can thrive without fear. The NPA says it remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring justice for victims of gender-based violence.
Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.
Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.
Read original story on www.citizen.co.za
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Home Affairs investigating claims of mothers selling their children's birth certificates to foreigners
The department of Home Affairs will launch an investigation into the selling of children's birth certificates. Image: SAPS The Department of Home Affairs is probing allegations that mothers are selling their children's original birth certificates to foreigners after several instances came to lights where 18-year olds tried to apply for ID documents and couldn't produce their original birth certificates. The first cases came to light in Cape Town when the manager for Home Affairs in Mitchells Plain, Shereen Meyer, mentioned it in a community meeting attended by stakeholders and residents. Meyer, confirmed to Weekend Argus that an internal investigation was underway after the matter came to the department's attention when several learners applying for their identity documents (IDs) in matric were unable to produce birth certificates. 'Our citizenship is not to be sold,' said Meyer firmly during the meeting, warning of the seriousness of such offences. The Department of Home Affairs since confirmed it is investigating the claims. Siyabulela Qoza, spokesperson for the department, said they were aware of three such cases and were probing whether more instances may have occurred. He also confirmed that, from what they have seen, the incidents do not appear to be stemming from the office- referencing that there is no involvement of employees. 'We found that the mothers are selling their kids birth certificates without the knowledge of Home Affairs, especially when they come for replacements - and they get questioned. "We do not feel comfortable that this is happening and will launch a national investigation, based on what we are able to find we will determine what will need to happen.' South Africans have been the victims of identity fraud since the dawn of democracy when illegal immigrants tried to obtain South African ID's, birth cerficates, marriage certificates and other documents in a bid to stay in the country legally. This sometimes happened with the help of corrupt Home Affairs officials. There were instances where women were duped into marriages or discovered that they were married when their ID's were stolen or cloned. This is not only a national problem, but an international problem as was reported before when the The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warned that identity fraud and theft had become the No 1 white collar crime in America. Qoza also reassured that there are no instances where two people share one identity document. The alleged selling of children's birth certificates has drawn fierce condemnation from public officials, including Mitchells Plain constituency head Ricardo Mackenzie, who labelled the claims 'disgusting.' 'It is disgusting that mommies are doing this. What makes it even more sad, because now the children have to suffer,' he said. Mackenzie added that he would be writing to the Minister of Home Affairs to demand urgent intervention and explore steps to address the issue and prevent future occurrences. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has also responded to the revelations. While its Metro South District office has not received official reports regarding such cases, WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond acknowledged that delays in the processing of IDs and other documentation remained a challenge for many families. 'The identity number of a learner is a compulsory field as per the National Examination System,' Hammond said. 'Learners are encouraged to apply for their Identity Documents (IDs) in Grade 10. In the interim, the birth certificate number must be used.'She added that schools are urged to guide parents on how to apply for IDs through the DHA. In instances where learners cannot obtain an ID in time for their final exams, schools can support by providing temporary photo identification and registering learners using their date of birth, along with a unique examination number. The investigation is expected to cast a wider net in the coming weeks, as the DHA probes whether this alleged practice extends beyond the three confirmed cases. [email protected] Weekend Argus
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Former attorney convicted of stealing RAF payouts
A former attorney has been convicted on four counts of theft by the Mpumalanga Specialised Commercial Crimes Court after defrauding clients of their Road Accident Fund (RAF) claims. According to the NPA, Mantladi Jo-Anne Mmela, committed the crimes when she was practising as a sole practitioner between June 2019 and March 2022. 'The accused lodged claims against the RAF on behalf of her clients, which were subsequently paid out. The money was paid by the RAF into the trust account of Mmela Incorporated Attorneys for the benefit of her clients, totalling an amount of over R4.1m. 'The incident came to light after one of the victims reported that Mmela failed to pay her. An investigation ensued and led to the arrest of the accused in 2022,' the NPA said in a statement. Mmela was subsequently granted bail. However, after absconding, she was re-arrested and remained in custody. 'During trial, the accused pleaded not guilty, and Senior State Advocate Henry Nxumalo presented evidence of the witnesses to prove the allegations levelled against her. The accused was convicted on four counts of theft, and the matter was postponed to August 21 for sentencing in the same court. 'The NPA welcomes the conviction as a significant step in the fight against the theft of trust monies by attorneys as breach of trust, more so the victims of motor vehicle accidents. The collaboration against fighting such crimes yielded positive results in this matter. 'The NPA remains committed to fighting financial crimes and ensuring that those who deprive claimants of their monies are prosecuted,' the NPA said. – At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
Suspect nabbed for eThekwini diesel theft
AN investigation is underway after eThekwini Municipality employees allegedly colluded with a private citizen to steal diesel, at the expense of the city and ratepayers. According to the director of the City Integrity and Investigations Directorate, Jimmy Ngcobo, the accused was posing as a municipal employee to allow him free reign over the pumps, which would eventually earn him around R78 000 a day. He allegedly did rounds everyday filling diesel at over 15 petrol stations around the city. 'The culprit had four vehicles fitted with a 750-litre fuel tank at the base of each single cab van. The diesel was stored in these tanks and resold. Each vehicle generated about R78 000 a day,' said Ngcobo. He said the accused was caught red-handed, dressed in municipal uniform, while fraudulently filling diesel at one of the petrol stations where the city's fleet refuel. The sting operation was conducted with assistance from the Metro Police and private company Reaction Unit South Africa. Also Read: eThekwini employees arrested for theft and corruption This was after the eThekwini Integrity and Investigations Directorate Unit received a tip-off from the City Fleet Directorate stating that there are municipal vehicles filling diesel more than 10 times a day. Ngcobo said a forensic investigation was launched and it found that a fuel master, belonging to the Water and Sanitation Directorate, was being used by privately owned cars. 'The fuel master being used was for a vehicle that has been stationary for a long time and is going to be disposed of. The suspect had duplicated the number plate and branding on the side of the car doors to make it look similar to other municipal cars.' He said that in this instance, municipal employees were working with external people to conduct fraud and corruption. 'The municipality has suffered a great financial loss, which is why we are calling on various stakeholders to report fraud and corruption when they see it happening,' said Ngcobo as he called for organised crime to be dealt with severely. The man was arrested and charged for fraud and corruption. He appeared in court and the matter was remanded until August. The public can report fraud and corruption by calling 0800 20 20 20 or send an email to ombuds@ For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
