The Boschfontein Regional Court has sentenced a 36-year-old man to 25 years in prison for the rape of a four-year-old girl at a creche in the Nkomazi area in 2023.
The sentence, handed down on [date of sentencing], was welcomed by the Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi. In addition to the prison term, the court ordered that the convict’s name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
According to court proceedings, the accused was employed as a general worker at the creche where the incident took place. The rape occurred on 1 September 2023 at approximately 15:00. Evidence presented revealed that the victim and other children, who live near the school, were playing on the premises after hours.
The man, whom the children called “uncle,” called the victim into the kitchen and closed the door. The victim’s eight-year-old sister became suspicious when she could not find her sibling. Peering through a window, she witnessed the man on top of the young girl. The sister did not report the incident immediately but took the victim home.
Later that day, while bathing the child, the mother was alerted when the victim complained of pain. Upon questioning, the eight-year-old sister recounted what she had seen, and the victim confirmed the assault, identifying the perpetrator. The mother reported the matter to the Kamhlushwa SAPS.
The case was transferred to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Tonga. The victim was taken to a hospital for a medical examination. The suspect was arrested in Kamhlushwa on 2 September 2023 following an investigation.