THREE LIFE TERMS FOR RAPIST UNCLE

27 October 2025

THREE LIFE TERMS FOR RAPIST UNCLE

Elukwatini, Mpumalanga – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence of three life terms handed down by the eLukwatini Magistrates’ Court to a 24-year-old Swati national for raping his 15-year-old cousin on multiple occasions. The accused, who resided in the Kingdom of eSwatini, visited the victim at Nhlazatshe No. 6 in the Gert Sibande district between November 2022 and March 2023, where she lived with family members.

During these visits, he waited for others to sleep and entered the victim’s bedroom to rape her, instructing her to remain silent. The abuse came to light during an awareness campaign by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and social workers at her school. The victim bravely disclosed the ordeal, prompting her mother’s involvement and a police investigation, which led to the accused’s arrest.

In court, the accused denied the allegations, claiming consent and a love relationship with the victim. State Prosecutor Mxolisi Biyela presented compelling evidence from the complainant, her mother, a social worker, and a medical doctor whose examination findings supported the victim’s account. A Victim Impact Statement, facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Nondumiso Thwala, detailed the psychological trauma she endured. Biyela argued that the accused exploited his position as an uncle, urging a sentence reflecting the offence’s severity.

Magistrate Ricardo Cloete, noting the high rate of sexual violence against women and children, found no compelling reasons to deviate from the prescribed life imprisonment. The court ordered the accused’s name entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders, declared him unfit to possess a firearm, and unsuitable to work with children.

The NPA aggressively prosecutes sexual violence cases, upholding victims’ constitutional rights to dignity and privacy.

Issued by:

Monica Nyuswa

NPA Regional Spokesperson

DPP Mpumalanga

Tel: 013 045 0625 / 076 485 5446

Email: mnyuswa@npa.gov.za