THREE MEN FOUND GUILTY OF G@NG-R@PING A TEENAGE GIRL AND SENT TO 18 YEARS IN PRISON

Babatunji Wusu –

For the combined sexual assault of a sixteen-year-old girl in a small agricultural hamlet in Mpumalanga, South Africa, five years ago, three people have been sentenced to eighteen years in jail.
One of the persons accused of the crime’s ownership was the vehicle in which the victim was assaulted.

As stated by Mpumalanga provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, the horrific incident took place inside a tavern in the town of Morgenzon. On December 6, 2023, a Wednesday, the sentence was handed out.

“The victim was raped in December 2018 by the trio, Sikhumbuzo Jacob Hlophe, 38, Thokozani David Hlophe, 28, and Thokozane Obert Zwane, 30,” Mohlala stated in court.

When the incident was reported to the police, the Standerton Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offenses (FCS) section was given the case, and investigators there diligently worked through a thorough investigation.

The three perpetrators were apprehended the day after the horrific rape event, which Mohlala said was a major breakthrough for the law enforcement team.

“The Secunda Regional Court found the three guilty and sentenced them to 18 years of direct imprisonment each on Monday, December 4,” he stated.

The investigative team’s prompt response and the “exceptional investigation” that led to the punishment were both praised by Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, the provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, who also applauded the verdict.

“The verdict was handed down during the global 16-day campaign against violence against women and children,” Manamela stated.

“The community members should learn a lesson and be discouraged from engaging in any kind of abuse,” he continued.