Johannesburg - In the Bloemfontein Sexual Offences Court, Zahkonze Dasheka, 49, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping a 4-year-old minor on Christmas Day, 2019.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Free State regional spokesperson, Phaladi Shuping, said that the incident happened when the convicted rapist, who was renting a back room at the residence of the child’s grandmother, came home with new clothes and told the child that he bought her clothes for Christmas and she must come to his room to fit them.
The child went to the room and was raped.
‘’She went to her grandmother, who was sleeping in the main house, woke her up, and told her of what Dasheka did to her. The complainant was taken to the National Hospital for examination, and the case was reported to the police. Dasheka was arrested later that day.’’
‘’Dasheka pleaded guilty and requested the court, through his lawyer, to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence because he saved court time by pleading guilty.’’
Meanwhile, a task team from the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) in Graaff-Reinet made a breakthrough after their extensive investigative work uncovered a number of cases of human trafficking and rape that emanated from a case of rape that was opened in February 2023.
According to a SAPS statement, the investigation led to the arrest of a 41-year-old man from Aberdeen who was linked to at least five cases of human trafficking and rape between 2020 and 2023 in the Eastern Cape and other provinces.
‘’On Monday, July 3, 2023, a team of detectives from Graaff-Reinet made a breakthrough in their investigations after a 41-year-old farmer from Aberdeen was arrested for his alleged involvement in several serious criminal cases such as human trafficking (five counts), rape (five counts), assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, intimidation, and child labour,’’ read the SAPS statement.
The suspect is facing charges ranging from human trafficking to child labour.
The Star