In two separate cases this week, men who are known to their sexual violence victims have faced court, with one of them being sentenced to life for the rape of his four-year-old niece.

This week, the Maluti Regional Court sentenced Luvuyo Nobeqwa, 46, to life imprisonment for raping his niece during a traditional ceremony at their home in Maritseng Location, Maluti, Eastern Cape. 

Meanwhile, a Limpopo man abandoned his bail application in the Tshitale Magistrate’s Court for the rape of his 16-year-old stepdaughter.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson for the Eastern Cape division, Luxolo Tyali, said the convicted child rapist Nobeqwa and his victim do not share a surname.

During the trial, the court heard the perpetrator’s unsuccessful attempt to blame-shift the crime to a local sangoma.

“On the night of 22 November 2024, the victim was sleeping in the uncle’s room. As other people were occupied with the singing and dancing associated with the traditional ceremony, in another room in the early hours, the accused left them and went to his room, where he raped the girl. 

“The victim was found crying by one of the ladies who was also an attendee of the ceremony. Upon being informed by the victim of what had transpired, the lady called other people. Police were summoned, and the uncle was arrested,” said Tyali.

In the matter, district court prosecutor Yolisa Dube successfully opposed bail during trial. 

“During the bail application, the accused indicated that he would plead not guilty, claiming he was not the one who raped the child but a sangoma from KwaBhaca.

“After the State received DNA results, which were collected at the Matatiele Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC), the accused changed and tendered a plea of guilty,” said Tyali. 

Regional court prosecutor Lubabalo Msongelwa submitted during sentencing arguments that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances justifying deviation from a prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment. 

Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Barry Madolo highlighted the importance of TCCs and their role in the collection of forensic evidence.

In Limpopo, a teenager’s stepfather abandoned his bail application during his court appearance this week. The man accused of raping his stepdaughter during August this year is also accused of murdering his wife and disposing of her body in a pit toilet at a local school 

NPA regional spokesperson for the Limpopo division, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said the 33-year-old man’s name is concealed to protect the minor victim.

“It is alleged that on 10 August, the accused woke the minor victim, claiming they needed to search for her mother at the village. The woman, 36, was last seen on Saturday, August 9.

“After failing to locate the mother, the accused led the minor to the bushes next to the local cemetery, where he allegedly raped her. The accused then instructed the teenager to return home. The victim immediately reported the rape to a community member, who contacted police, and the accused was arrested,” said Malabi-Dzhangi.

On August 11, police officers discovered that the suspect had allegedly murdered the missing woman on the date she was last seen. 

The man remains in custody, and the matter was postponed to September 11 for further investigations.

chevon.booysen@inl.co.za

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