A 26-YEAR-OLD man from Imbali township was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl, and a further 10 years for housebreaking.
Nqobile Zondi was sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court last Thursday.
KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane said the victim was at her residence in Imbali township in September 2016, assisting at her mother’s shop, when the accused asked to buy cigarettes. “When the victim went to her mother’s room to fetch the cigarettes, the accused followed her down the passage and pushed her into the room and raped her. A case of rape was opened at Plessislaer Police Station and the docket was transferred to the Plessislaer Family Violence and Child Protection Unit.
“Swift action by the investigators led to the immediate arrest of the accused and he was taken to the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court for prosecution. The accused made several court appearances until his conviction and sentencing,” he said.
KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Bheki Langa, welcomed the sentence handed down to the accused and praised the detectives for their hard work in solving the case. “Violent men are not allowed to stay in our society. We will make sure that all those involved in crimes against women and children are sent to prison indefinitely,” he said. — Supplied.
