Family of rape survivor rejects mediation, leading to life sentence for Mondlo, northern KZN man
A Mondlo man has been sentenced to life in prison for raping his 61-year-old neighbour, as her family bravely rejected attempts at mediation.
Image: File: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
A Mondlo man has been handed a life sentence in the Nquthu Regional Court in northern KwaZulu-Natal for the rape of his 61-year-old neighbour last year.
The sentence came after the woman's family rejected an attempt by the neighbour to “mediate” the matter where the incident will be discussed among the families with an agreement to be reached. In these cases which often occur in rural areas, no authorities are involved.
The woman was raped in her home in May 2024 by the knife-wielding man. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the victim had returned from her garden to find the man inside her home, where he threatened her with a knife and forced her into the bedroom.
She recognised him as a neighbour but remained silent out of fear that “he might kill her”.
After the attack, the woman reported the incident to her daughter. When the daughter approached the accused’s brother, the two men attempted to “mediate the matter” and presented her with a compensation letter signed by the attacker. She instead reported the crime to the police, leading to his arrest.
Prosecutor Dan Motha told the court that the complainant “was attacked within the sanctity of her home” and that she “has suffered emotional and psychological scars because of the incident.”
The court also declared the man was unfit to possess a firearm.
The NPA welcomed the outcome as the country marks 16 Days of No Violence Against Women and Children.
NPA spokesperson in KZN, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the authority hoped that sentences of this nature “reaffirm the NPA’s unwavering pursuit of justice.”
In a separate case, the court sentenced Senzo Langa to life imprisonment for the murder of 66-year-old Dumisani Ngcobo in Manzamnyama in January 2024.
Langa believed Ngcobo had stolen lobola cattle that had gone missing and confronted him at a river while he was bathing. Langa and an accomplice assaulted Ngcobo with knobkerries before leaving him at the river, where he later died, sustaining severe injuries.
During sentencing, Ngcobo’s son told the court that finding his father’s body had left an image that “will stay in his mind forever”. He added that the killing was “senseless” as the cattle later returned home.
Witnesses included the accomplice, who turned state witness, and Langa’s cousin, who had provided the pair with traditional cleansing medicine.
Langa was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. The NPA urged residents not to resort to vigilantism but instead to “approach the authorities for assistance in resolving problems.”