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- The Ermelo Regional Court found Nkosinathi Thwala guilty of raping a seven-year-old girl in March 2019.
- The girl was on her way home from school, when she was called into Thwala's shack, where she was raped and then given a R10 note.
- The court sentenced Thwala to life imprisonment.
A 38-year-old man from Ermelo in Mpumalanga has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of raping a seven-year-old girl in 2019.
Nkosinathi Thwala was convicted and sentenced by the Ermelo Regional Court on Monday.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the girl was on her way home from school in Ermelo Extension 2 when Thwala called her into his shack.
NPA spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said:
"When the victim arrived home, her mother noticed that she was holding a R10 note, and upon enquiring, she then told her mother that she was raped by the man who gave her the money."
"She further told her mother that she could point to the man who raped her and the place where he resides."
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Her parents then went to look for Thwala and found him in his shack. They confronted him and called the police, while the girl was taken to a nearby clinic.
While Thwala pleaded not guilty, the State led the evidence of the minor, the first report and a forensic doctor.
"The arresting officer also testified from what he observed when arresting the accused."
In aggravation of sentence, prosecutor Chane Rothman presented a victim impact statement which painted a picture of a sad, fearful and traumatised girl.
"She detailed that since the incident happened, she has been living in fear and afraid of the accused because he threatened to kill her should she report the ordeal."
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In addition to sentencing Thwala to life imprisonment for rape, the court also declared him unfit to work with children and ordered that his name be entered into the Register for Sex Offenders.
The Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in Mpumalanga, Sonja Ntuli, welcomed the sentence and applauded the prosecutor and the investigating officer for the successful prosecution.
"We hope that this sentence will deter would-be offenders who commit similar crimes against society's most vulnerable groups," Ntuli said.
