DURBAN - The Estcourt Regional Court sentenced 44-year-old Muziwenkosi Mzunkunzi Nkala to life imprisonment for raping the woman who refused his love proposal.
During investigations, police found that Nkala might also be linked to the rape of a 58-year-old woman which took place in her home in the Bhalonini area in April 2020.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said while a 40-year-old woman was sleeping in her home in Mabhalonini in Estcourt, northern KwaZulu-Natal, on February 2, 2020, in the early hours of the morning, she was woken up by an unknown armed man who had entered through the window.
“Traumatised and fearing for her life, the victim attempted to fight the man, but he overpowered her, pressed her down, and threatened to kill her if she made any noise. The man raped the victim several times before instructing her to fetch him juice,” Mbele said.
“The victim switched on the light and noticed the man as the same man who had approached and proposed love to her earlier that day, but she declined his proposal.”
Mbele said the woman was able to escape while the man was relaxed and drinking the juice. She went to a nearby house where she screamed for her neighbour. She provided a description of the man, and the community identified the suspect as Muziwenkosi Mzunkunzi Nkala. Estcourt police were informed, and a case of rape was opened.
She said the docket was transferred to the Estcourt Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for further investigation and the suspect was arrested and charged for rape.
That was when it was revealed that Nkala might also be linked to another rape case where a 58-year-old woman was raped at her home in the Bhalonini area in April 2020.
“The accused made several court appearances, and on November 11, 2021, he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Estcourt Regional Court. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm,” Mbele said.
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