The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela has welcomed a hefty sentence handed down to a rapist and murderer. Mfanasibili Cornelius Mnisi, aged 29, was sentenced by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela on 21 October 2021.

The court was satisfied with the evidence that was brought by the State against Mnisi, who terrorised defenceless women between December 2011 and November 2015. The court then took the decision to remove him from the society for a very long time so that women would walk freely, knowing that one of the perpetrators of Gender-Based-Violence is behind bars.

The court heard how in December 2011, the accused took advantage of an 18-year-old woman after she lost contact with her friends at a certain tavern in Matsulu. Mnisi offered to take her home but detoured along the way and drove to his house with her and upon arrival, held her hostage and raped her at knifepoint.

The matter was reported to the police in Matsulu where a case was opened accordingly and the docket was assigned to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) in Kanyamazane for further investigation.

Mnisi continued preying on another woman, aged 29, in October 2014. The woman was on her way to catch a bus to work in the morning. The accused offered to take her to the bus stop. He instead took her to a secluded area where she was raped and strangled to death.

The accused then dumped her body in a river thereafter. Her body was later recovered by a member of the public who alerted the police and a case was opened accordingly with an investigation instituted where a manhunt was launched for the suspect.

In November 2015, the accused preyed on a 20-year-old woman when he invited her to visit him at Matsulu. Mnisi introduced the victim to one of his family members but later took her to a secluded area where he raped and strangled her until she was unconscious.

The accused thought that the woman was dead and as a result, he dumped her at the Kruger National Park. She later regained consciousness and found an opening in the fence where she got help from people at the houses nearby. Police were informed about the incident where a case was opened accordingly.

A team of Detectives from FCS Unit at Kanyamazane worked tirelessly to locate and arrest the suspect. A breakthrough was made when they cornered Mnisi at Matsulu in November 2015. He was charged accordingly and the State successfully opposed his bail which implied that he went on trial whilst remanded in custody until he was convicted on 15 October 2021 hence his sentence as follows:

The accused was given three life sentences on two counts of rape and on one count of murder. Mnisi was also sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for another separate count of rape. He was further slapped with 15 years imprisonment for robbery plus an extra 15 years for another separate robbery. For defeating the ends of justice, the accused was sentenced to three years imprisonment. Meanwhile, he received 10 years imprisonment for a count of attempted murder.

The accused was also found to be unfit to possess a firearm and his name will be entered into the Register of Sexual Offenders. The Provincial Commissioner further indicated that the police are elated with the collaborative effort made by the investigating team, the Prosecution and the Judiciary. The sentence will definitely serve as a deterrence to others who might think of emulating the actions of the accused.

Source: South African Police Service