The issue of faith in SA is huge.
People find healing in different places and the last thing they need is to be taken advantage of when they are most vulnerable.
Lehlohonolo Jacob Nketsi (40), has been sentenced to an effective term of life-long imprisonment by the Bloemfontein Regional Court after he was found guilty of raping a 15-year-old girl he was supposed to be helping with her ancestral calling.
In September 2022, the mother of the victim took the child (the victim) to Lehlohonolo, a traditional healer, to help her with her ancestral calling.
The court heard that child was left in the care of the accused, as the mother had trusted him and had high hopes that her daughter was going to get the assistance she needed. While in the care of the accused, instead of helping the victim as he had promised he started to rape the child.
The child reported the incidents to her mother and the matter was reported to the police. A case of rape was opened, and the accused was arrested, during bail application, the prosecution successfully opposed it, and he was remanded in custody until the finalisation of the matter.
During the trial, the Prosecution led by regional court Prosecutor Thumeka Jama, argued that Lehlohonolo used his power to exploit the victim and showed no remorse for his actions. As a traditional healer, he knew that the victim and her family trusted him, hence he took advantage of the family. In sentencing, the court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment for raping the child.
Read more | Rapist e-hailing driver gets 2 life terms + 60 years
In a separate case, the Nelspruit Regional Court convicted and sentenced a 57-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a minor girl (13), in 2020.
The victim lived with her sister.
On 6 February 2020, the accused convinced the victim’s elder sister to go and play netball. Eventually, the elder sister left to play, thereafter the accused ordered the victim to take off her clothes and lay down. The victim resisted; however, the accused threatened to kill her.
The accused then forced himself to the victim and raped her. The victim’s cousin arrived and found her getting dressed. The cousin was concerned and told the victim’s aunt and eventually the victim’s mother was told.
The aunt and the cousin reported the matter to the police while the victim was taken for medical examination. The accused was arrested and denied bail after the state successfully opposed his release. During the trial, the accused pleaded not guilty and denied all the allegations levelled against him. State Prosecutor John Mahlwele led oral evidence of the victim, the victim’s cousin, and the victim’s aunt. The forensic nurse as well as the positive DNA report was also presented to the court. The court found the accused guilty as charged.
Read more | 20 years for man who raped his mother
A 38-year-old Nquthu father has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his biological daughter.
While the complainant’s parents were in a love relationship, they did not live together. Since she lived with her mother, her father occasionally called her to his house under the guise of her helping him with household chores such as fetching water or laundry. He used these times as an opportunity to rape her, for almost three-year period. He threatened to kill her if she told anyone about what he was doing. The incident eventually came to light, when the complainant’s mother noticed that the complainant was losing weight.
Eventually the complainant confided in her aunt who told the complainant’s mother.
The father then handed himself over to the police.
The man was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape; and the court declared him unsuitable to work with children. The court ordered that his name is added into the National Register for Sex Offenders; and he was found unfit to possess a firearm.
