Zimbabwean National Sentenced to Life for Raping 13-Year-Old Daughter in South Africa
Zim GBC News | South African Correspondent
THOHOYANDOU, Limpopo – A 39-year-old Zimbabwean man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Sibasa Regional Court for the rape of his 13-year-old daughter, in a case described by prosecutors as a profound betrayal of trust and family.
The court ordered that the man’s name be added to the National Sexual Offenders Register. His identity is withheld to protect the victim.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the man brought his daughter from Zimbabwe to spend the school holidays with him in South Africa in August 2020.
“On arrival in Limpopo, the accused began to sexually violate the victim without her consent,” said Mashudu Malabi, NPA Regional Spokesperson.
“He instructed her to remain silent, threatened to abandon her in South Africa if she spoke out, and isolated her from other children.”
The abuse was uncovered after a neighbour noticed the girl’s withdrawn and unusual behaviour and alerted the police.
Following an investigation, the accused was arrested and the minor was taken to the Tshilidzini Thuthuzela Care Centre for medical and psychosocial support.
During sentencing, State Advocate Rabelani Makhera emphasised the severity of the crime.
“This was not just a rape; it was a fundamental violation of a father’s duty to protect,” Advocate Makhera argued in court.
“The accused abused his position of authority, betrayed the trust inherent in fatherhood, and showed a complete disregard for the principle of Ubuntu.”
A Victim Impact Report, compiled by state official Mulondo Ganuku, detailed the lasting trauma inflicted on the child, particularly because the perpetrator was her biological father.
The state argued that there were “no substantial and compelling circumstances” to justify a departure from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
The NPA in Limpopo has welcomed the ruling. Limpopo Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Ivy Thenga, praised the role of the Thuthuzela Care Centres in supporting survivors.
“The expansion of the Thuthuzela Care Centre network—now 64 centres nationwide—continues to strengthen our fight against sexual and gender-based violence,” Adv. Thenga said.
“This sentence sends a clear message that such atrocities, especially against children, will be met with the full might of the law.”
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