PRETORIA – A 32-year-old Zimbabwean national, Mulero Nyangero, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court in South Africa, after being convicted of a heinous rape and robbery that occurred in 2020.
Nyangero, who resided in Pretoria West, received an additional five-year sentence for robbery with aggravating circumstances, which will run concurrently with the life sentence. The court has also declared Nyangero unfit to possess a firearm.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the sentence, hoping it reaffirms their commitment to prosecuting crimes of Gender Based Violence (GBV).
The NPA regional spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, detailed the harrowing events of 14 August 2020. “On 14 August 2020, in the afternoon, the victim was running on Kloof Street in Pretoria West, when three men came out of the nearby bush, approached and dragged her into the bushes, where Nyangero raped her,” Mahanjana explained.
The victim’s ordeal did not end with the rape. “While Nyangero was raping her, the other two men were assaulting her and threaten her with a knife. Thereafter, they forced her to transfer money to them via cell phone banking, tied her hands and fled the scene,” Mahanjana added.
After the attackers fled, the victim managed to free herself. “The victim untied herself, ran to the road, where she got a lift home from a vehicle passing by. Thereafter, she went to Pretoria West Police Station, where she reported the matter,” Mahanjana said.
Following an investigation, Nyangero was apprehended on 21 February 2021, at a tavern in Pretoria West and has remained in custody since.
During the trial, Nyangero pleaded not guilty to the charges, denying any involvement in the crime. “However, the state prosecutor, advocate Chester Molaba, presented compelling evidence by the investigating officers and the victim, which proved that indeed Nyangero committed the offences,” Mahanjana stated.
In a desperate attempt to mitigate his sentence, Nyangero, through his legal representative, pleaded with the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentences, citing his marital status and the fact that he has two minor children who depend on him. He also asked the court to consider the four years he has already spent in custody since his arrest.
Advocate Molaba, however, argued against any deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment. He emphasised Nyangero’s lack of remorse for the gender-based violence crimes he committed, which are prevalent in the country. Molaba described the offences as “inhumane, vicious, and brutal against a defenceless woman.”
Magistrate Themba Ndwandwe, in delivering the judgment, sided with the state, agreeing that Nyangero’s crimes were indeed inhumane and that he had shown no remorse. “He said that his actions showed that he had no respect for women because he treated the victim like an animal. Therefore, he found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence,” Mahanjana conveyed.
The acting Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), advocate Marika Jansen Van Vuuren, has applauded the work of the prosecutor and the investigating officer, Captain Mkhonto, which led to this conviction and sentence. Van Vuuren expressed hope that this sentence reaffirms the NPA’s commitment to prosecuting crimes of Gender Based Violence (GBV).
The case has drawn attention to the scourge of gender-based violence in South Africa, with many calling for stricter measures to protect women and bring perpetrators to justice. Nyangero’s sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of such crimes and the commitment of the South African justice system to hold offenders accountable.
Follow @MyZimbabweNews
