Online Reporter
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
The Pretoria Magistrate Court has sentenced to life imprisonment a 32-year-old Zimbabwean man following his conviction on a case of robbery and rape he committed in 2020.
Mulero Nyangero (32), from Pretoria West, was also slapped with five years direct imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (Pretoria Division) spokesperson Ms Lumka Mahanjana said on Friday that the court ordered that the sentences run concurrently and that Nyangero be declared unfit to possess a firearm.
She said charges against Nyangero arose on August 14 2020.
“On the day in question, the victim was running on Kloof Street in Pretoria West, when three men came out of the nearby bush, approached and dragged her into the bushes where Nyangero raped her,” said Ms Mahanjana.
“While Nyengero was raping her the other two men were assaulting her and threatening her with a knife.
“Thereafter, they forced her to transfer money to them via cellphone banking, tied her hands and fled the scene. The victim untied herself, ran to the road, where she got a lift home from a vehicle passing by.
“Thereafter, she went to the Pretoria West Police Station, where she reported the matter. After investigations, Nyangero was arrested on February 21 2021, at a tavern in Pretoria West and has been in custody since.”
Ms Mahanjana said that although Nyangero pleaded not guilty to the charges, the State, led by Advocate Chester Molaba, presented compelling evidence by the investigating officers and the victim, which proved that indeed Nyangero committed the offences.
She said in mitigation through his legal representative, Nyangero asked the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentences because he is married and has two minor children that he needs to provide and care for.
Furthermore, he asked the court to consider the fact that he has been in custody for four years since his arrest.
“Adv Molaba, however, argued against the deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment because Nyangero showed no remorse for the serious crimes of gender based violence (GBV) he committed, which are prevalent in the country,” she added.
“Furthermore, Adv Molaba argued that the offences were inhumane, vicious and brutal against a defenceless woman.”
