The Verulam Regional Court sentenced a 28-year-old man to life imprisonment for the repeated rape of his neighbour in March 2013. The man was 20 years old at the time and the boy was four. The man lived in the same block of flats in Phoenix as the boy and his mother. At some stage, the boy’s mother got ill and had to stay in hospital. The boy went to live with the nanny, who also lived in the same flat.

The East London Regional Court has found Sibongile Mani guilty of theft. The Walter Sisulu University (WSU) student received more than R14 million into her student account from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and spent over R800 000. She will serve five years imprisonment, subject to the provisions of Section 276 (1) i.

The Lusikisiki Regional Court sentenced Patrick Mapholoba Maxhakana (23) and Sandile Nyenyiso (29) to life imprisonment for raping a 17-year-old girl. On 04 September 2020, the victim was with her friends and her boyfriend, consuming liquor at a local tavern in Nkunzimbini village in the district of Lusikisiki.  She received a call from Nyenyiso, to whom she had given her cell phone number earlier on that day.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the sentence of a former McDonald employee, Clement Othusitse Seothaeng (27), originally from Pampierstad in Northern Cape Province who was sentenced by the Pretoria North Magistrates’ Court to 10 years direct imprisonment for extortion and malicious property damage. He was given 10 years for extortion and 5 years for malicious damages to property.

Bellville, Western Cape: Two police officers have been found guilty and fined R30 000 or sentenced to three years of direct imprisonment after they attempted to extort money from a complainant who they accused of engaging in an indecent act with a minor. The Bellville Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Warrant Officer Steven Jacobs and Constable Denzil Keith Abrahams after convicting them on a charge of attempted extortion.

Sandile Vaaibooi (34) from Barkly West, appeared at the Delpoortshoop Magistrate Court on two counts of murder. It is alleged that on 18 March 2022, the accused forcefully entered the home of Patrick Vaaibooi and Angelina Kgatlane, and upon entering their home, the accused began attacking them and killed both.

A group of twenty-seven people appeared in the Krugersdorp Magistrates' Court, on the alleged fraudulent passport syndicate operation. They were charged with corruption in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act. 

The High Court of South Africa: Eastern Cape Division, Mthatha, sitting in Mbizana, sentenced Mzoxolo Mpanda (27) and Mluleki Maricela (35), to life imprisonment for the murder of a 79-year-old granny. The deceased, Ntombizodwa Kekela, was killed because her neighbour believed she was practising witchcraft. Mhlanyukwa Msongelwa (60) paid Mpinda and Madikizela, as well as their accomplice Nathi Njilo (23), an amount of R250 000 and a cow to have the grandmother killed.

Today the Free State High Court dismissed all of the accused’s interlocutory applications in the asbestos matter with costs.   

The NPA welcomes the judgment and will now focus on ensuring that the pretrial conference is concluded on the next court date so that a trial date can be arranged. We have always maintained that all the matters raised by the accused should be ventilated by the trial court when the trial proceedings commence. The NPA has full confidence in the strength of its case and will let the evidence speak for itself during the trial.