MOPANI – Gezani Shadrack Baloyi (32) will spend the next twelve years in jail for rape. His case was finalized in the Malamulele Regional Court on Monday.

The incident to which the case is related took place at the Nwadzekudzeku village near Giyani during the night of February 25 this year at about 23:50.

The court heard that, during the night of the incident, the accused proceeded to the victim's kraal. The victim is a 17-year-old girl. It was again revealed in court that the accused had a long argument with the victim. During the argument, the accused grabbed the victim by the hand and threatened to kill her if she made any noise.

He then took her to the nearby bushes, where he raped her. The matter was reported to the police the following morning and the accused was arrested two days after the incident. He appeared in the Malamulele magistrate's court several times before the matter was laid to rest on Monday.

He was not given the option to pay any fine.

* The same court sentenced a 17-year-old boy of Muswani village to five years in jail for housebreaking and theft on the same day. The incident that led to the case took place at the Muswani village near Malamulele during the night of March 17 this year, at about 24:00.

The court heard that, during the night of the incident, the accused broke into a local shop and stole groceries and other goods. The accused was arrested several weeks after the incident, after the police had received the information from concerned residents.

The accused was not given the option to pay a fine. In the statement that was released by the Mopani SAPS, they praised the justice system for what they described as "the job well done". According to them, the sentences will serve as a deterrent to criminals-to-be.