Tsomo Regional Magistrate’s Court sentenced 45 -year- old man Thandikhaya Maneli to undergo 25 years imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl. The accused was sentenced on Monday, 23 August 2021.

It is alleged that in May 2018 the victim was asked by the accused to fetch chips at his home at Kotana Village, Ngqamakhwe. On her arrival the accused locked the door and raped her.

The victim disclosed to her friends four months after the incident and they forced her to tell her mother. A case of rape was opened at Ngqamakhwe Police Station. The case was handed over to Butterworth Family Violence and Child Protection Unit (FCS) for investigation. The accused was arrested.

“The hefty sentence handed to the accused will send a strong message to the perpetrators who are abusing women and children,” said Acting Amathole District Commissioner Brigadier Xakavu. He welcomed the sentence and commended the investigator who properly investigated the case.

Source: South African Police Service