Mpumalanga: The Nelspruit Specialized Commercial Crimes Court has today convicted and sentenced Robert Reginald Booth(53) and Barry Victor Welgemoed(35),  both from Nelspruit to eight years imprisonment for corruption. This was after the pair pleaded guilty to the offence, which was committed on 16 March 2022, at Kingston Valley Farm, near Karino in Nelspruit.

The Umlazi Regional Court, sentenced Lungile Qoza and Ntombikayise Khambule, to life and 20 years imprisonment for July 2020 murder, of an 81-year-old man in the Engoyameni area, near Umlazi. Qoza worked for the victim, Mohammed Salajee, who hailed from the Chatsworth area. On the day of the incident, he left his home with R150000, intended to pay for a property he planned to purchase. Qoza knew about this, and colluded with Khambule and a hitman, to rob him of the money.

The Greytown Regional Court, sentenced a 60-year-old man to life and 17 years imprisonment, following his conviction of rape, two counts of sexual assault and kidnapping. The man knew the victim’s relatives as they attended the same church. The victim was 17 years old at the time and lived with her relatives as she is an orphan.

The Nelspruit Sexual Offences Court convicted and sentenced Steven Raymond Mkhabela, from Chweni Trust, KaBokweni, to 22 years of direct imprisonment, for raping a visually impaired pensioner (67).On 28 November 2015, a victim was sleeping in her place, when the accused entered the house and raped her. The following morning, the victim went to her neighbours half naked, reported the rape ordeal and the police were alerted.

The Limpopo Polokwane High Court has sentenced Jeffrey Muronga (29), to effective 25 years imprisonment, for charges: rape, murder, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice. Muronga, pleaded guilty, was convicted, and sentenced as charged. In his plea agreement, the accused stated that on 17 November 2020, in Vingerkraal, Bela-Bela, he met the deceased, Melania Ruben (a 3-year-old girl), playing with other children, and he requested her to follow him to his homestead.

A granddaughter, Nomaswazi Rachel Tshabalala (31), was convicted for killing her grandmother and spending the deceased SASSA grant, by the High Court of South Africa Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg. The accused pleaded guilty to a charge of murder, 24 counts of fraud, theft of the deceased bank and SASSA cards, obstructing and defeating the administration of justice as well as statutory perjury. 

A medical practitioner based in Kimberley , accused of rape has officially applied for bail in the Kimberley District Court. The suspect is accused of raping a 17-year-old patient at his surgery. It is alleged that on 15 August 2022, the 17-year-old victim went to the accused surgery, for medical consultation.

The Nelspruit Sexual Offences Court, convicted and sentenced Thabo Nkomo (32), from KaNyamazane to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping an adult female. The victim was on her way home, after watching a movie at Riverside Mall, she became ill and decided to walk from Riverside to Rob Ferreira hospital. Along the way, she was approached by the accused, and another unknown male. They offered help to the victim, instead, they took her to a nearby old building and raped her repeatedly.

The Standerton Magistrates’ Court convicted and sentenced a former District Court Control Prosecutor, Aaron Pule Mohanwe (35), to ten years of direct imprisonment, for two counts of corruption and defeating the administration of justice. His conviction follows information which was received, that the accused was receiving money for not enrolling in drug-related cases.