adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
A MANGWE woman charged a man R10 in order for him to bed her 14-year-old niece who ended up falling pregnant, a court heard.
Zwelithini Vundla, 25, of Empandeni area approached the juvenile’s aunt, Fortunate Moyo and requested to have sex with the minor who was his “girlfriend”.The aunt asked for payment to sanction the act and Vundla told her that he only had R10.
Moyo accepted the monetary offer, before assigning the girl to collect the money as a gift after having sexual intercourse with the man.
In court, Vundla said he slept with the minor as he had been given the go ahead by Moyo.
“I was sleeping with the juvenile because her aunt had consented to it. I now viewed her as my wife and I was going to marry her eventually. I knew that what I was doing was a crime but I thought that since I was not doing it in secret then it was not an offence,” he said.
Prosecuting, Elisha Mazorodze said the juvenile ended up falling pregnant due to the illicit affair.
“On a date unknown but in the month of August, Vundla had sexual intercourse with the juvenile and he gave her R10 as a gift to take to her aunt. He went on to sleep with her on several occasions until she fell pregnant,” he said.
Plumtree magistrate, Gideon Ruvetsa sentenced Vundla to nine months imprisonment. Three months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within the period commit a similar offence.
The remaining six months were suspended on condition that he performs 210 hours of community service at Empandeni Clinic.
“It appears that you were fully aware that you were committing an offence when you were sleeping with the juvenile. It does not matter where you got the go ahead from. What remains a fact is that you slept with a minor which is something which you should not have done,” said Ruvetsa while passing his sentence.
derick.khumalo