Sidumisile Mabena
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
A 45-YEAR-OLD Esigodini man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping and impregnating his 14-year-old niece during a family gathering that was held at his homestead.
The man who cannot be named for ethical reasons pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence by Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Sithembiso Ndebele. He was sentenced to an effective 15 year jail term.
Prosecuting, Ms Zanele Sithole said the man raped the complainant after he found her alone guarding her young sister who was asleep.
“On a date unknown to the prosecutor, but during the month of June 2025 at night, the accused and the complainant were part of people who were attending a family party at the accused person’s homestead,” she said.
“During the night the complainant’s mother placed her baby who had fallen asleep on the accused person’s bed and left the complainant on guard.
“The accused person then went to his bedroom and found the complainant sitting on the chair in the sitting room guarding a sleeping child. The accused person then dragged the complainant to his bedroom and said in isiNdebele language, “woza ngapha hanti wena ungu mfazi wami”, which when translated to English language will mean to say come here, you are my wife,” she said.
Ms Sithole said the accused person pushed the complainant onto the bed and raped her. He threatened to assault the complainant if she revealed the matter to anyone.
She said the accused person continued to monitor the complainant checking whether she had not revealed the matter to anyone and further threatened to assault her. The matter came to light in February after the complainant’s mother noticed that her daughter was pregnant.
In her statement in court, which she made on camera the complainant said she did not reveal the matter to anyone as her uncle kept checking with her if she had reported the matter. She said he kept threatening to kill her if she told anyone. The complainant said she feared for her life.
The complainant’s mother said she got concerned after realising changes on her daughter’s body.
“On 14 January 2026 I noticed the complainant struggling to stand up. I also noted some changes on her body. I then asked her what was going on and she revealed to me that she was raped by the accused person,” she said.
“She narrated to me what had transpired. My daughter also told me that the accused person was constantly monitoring her and asking her if she had revealed the matter to anyone and he was threatening to kill her.”
In passing the sentence, Ms Ndebele said while the accused person had denied the allegations, the evidence presented before the court had proven before a reasonable doubt that he had committed the offence.
-@DubeMatutu
Online Reporter