Two men accused of robbery with aggravating circumstances, housebreaking and rape have been found guilty in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) provincial police commissioner’s office confirmed.
The sentences were handed down last week.
Mandlenkosi Manana, 33, and Sanele Khumalo, 25, allegedly broke into the rental house of five students of the Amajuba TVET College at Madadeni near Newcastle in KZN on February 27 this year.
"It is alleged that the accused broke the door open and robbed them [the students] of their cellphones, cash and clothing," KZN police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane said.
The two men were sentenced to 15 years for robbery and five years for housebreaking. Manana receiving a further 15 years for rape.
Zwane lauded the efforts of all parties involved, including the Newcastle Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit which took over the docket. Their efforts yielded arrests and a guilty verdict "within two months after the crime was committed", he added.
All stolen items were recovered when the second accused was arrested by police last month.
Earlier this month, a suspect appeared at the Nsuze Magistrate’s Court in KZN on charges of rape and murder. The victim was a Grade 11 pupil from Nondenisa High.
It is believed that the young girl’s family started to worry when she did not return from washing her clothes in the nearby river.
Her naked body was later discovered a few metres from the river. The suspect will be back in court on May 9 for a formal bail application.
