Rustenburg - A 48-year-old man accused of the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl was sentenced to two life terms by the Willowvale Regional Magistrate Court on Wednesday, Eastern Cape police said.
Police spokesperson Captain Jackson Manatha said Lungephi Ngeshweni was also given an additional four years.
“The accused was found guilty of kidnapping, raping and murder of 14-year-old Dorcas Ncancali. It is alleged that the accused approached the deceased at her home which is at Matanzima location Dadamba village, Willowvale on 18 July 2014 during the day.”
The accused who was a neighbour of the deceased pretended as if he wanted cellphone numbers for her father.
“The unsuspecting deceased told the accused that her father was somewhere in the village as she did not know the cell number of her father. She then decided to accompany the accused to where her father was. On the way the accused dragged the deceased to a nearby forest. The 14-year-old Dorcas Ncancali was raped by the accused. She was then severely assaulted until she died.”
Manatha said the key witness in the case was the younger brother of the deceased who informed his parents and the community that the last person who went way with the deceased was the accused Ngeshweni.
The police and the community started to search for Dorcas during the evening of July 18. The search was suspended and resumed on July 19.
“The community members woke up very early in the morning of 19 July 2014 and searched at the forest. They found the lifeless body of the deceased who appeared to have been strangled to death.”
The police in Willowvale traced and arrested Ngeshweni. He was charged with kidnapping, rape and murder and was subsequently found guilty on all the charges.
“He was sentenced to four years imprisonment for kidnapping, life imprisonment for rape and life imprisonment for murder.”
Ngeshweni was out on a parole for rape which he committed in 2003 when he attacked Dorcas.
“He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the rape which he committed in 2003 and which he was on parole for,” Manatha said.
ANA