THOHOYANDOU - The Thohoyandou High Court has last Friday sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a 14-year-old girl at Divhani outside Makhado Township last year.

The court learnt that Mr Ntshengedzeni Sikhipha lured a young girl to his room and raped her last year at Divhani. Judge Godfrey Hetisani said children have the right to play everywhere without being abused. "You have deflowered her and the rape trauma would not vanish from her mind, so you deserve a life sentence," said Judge Hetisani. The sentence was passed last Friday.

Meanwhile, the Thohoyandou Regional court has last Friday sentenced a 23-year-old man to 55 years imprisonment for rape, possession of an unlicensed firearm and for robberies that took place at Matanda, Nzhelele. The court learnt that Prince Mashavhela found a man and his girlfriend under a tree and he pointed a gun at them. He then took the 22-year-old girl with him, and raped her. He also robbed two supermarkets and a filling station at Tshikombani Village.

Act 105 of 1997 considers robberies of this type as serious, said prosecutor Bongani Chauke. "Women must be free and the court should impose a heavy sentence in the rape case. People with guns are dangerous to the public and could kill innocent people. Committing five cases of this nature gives the court a clear indication that Prince is a criminal and dangerous to the society" said prosecutor Chauke.

When passing judgement, Magistrate Christopher Mthombeni said raping a woman in the vicinity of her husband is disgraceful and communities are sick and tired of women and child abuse, so they must be protected. In the rape case, Prince was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, while for the three counts of armed robbery; he was sentenced to 45 years and six months for being in possession of an illegal firearm.

Prince is unemployed and left school while in Grade 9.