The High Court of South Africa, Eastern Cape Division sitting in Ntabankulu, on November 13, sentenced Velisani Mngani (23) to an effective 30-year term for raping and gouging out the eyes of his 16-year-old victim, leaving her permanently blind.
According to a family member, the incident happened on Good Friday in April 2022.
Talking to Mthatha Express, she said that the victim was on her way home after meeting with her boyfriend, when the suspect followed her and dragged her into a forest where he repeatedly raped her.
She said after the rape he gouged the victim’s eyes out. One eyeball was left at the scene and other was found hanging from her eye socket.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, said that the court convicted and sentenced Mngani to 30 years for rape, 13 years for robbery, eight years for attempted murder, and five years for kidnapping. He said that the court ordered all sentences to run concurrently with the 30 years for rape.
“Mngani entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the state. In his plea explanation he admitted he was walking in a forest in Ngombonqani location in Mount Ayliff, when he saw the schoolgirl walking alone on April 15, 2022. He ambushed her, dragged her deep into the forest and repeatedly raped her,” said Tyali.
According to him, the victim fought back, beating him on his body and fingers but he overpowered her. After raping her he decided to kill her to avoid being identified, as they are from the same locality.
Tyali added the perpetrator strangled her with his hands and used a blunt object to stab her and poke her eyes out, and left her for dead.
“The case was postponed several times, as Mngani had to be taken for psychiatric evaluation, which confirmed that he was fit to stand trial and could appreciate the wrongfulness of his actions. Arguing for an appropriate sentence, state advocate Chumile Mkentane stated that the victim was now dependent on assistance from her family members in almost everything, and had to be moved to a school for people living with disabilities in Pretoria.”
He said that the court, however, took into consideration mitigating factors and agreed that there are substantial and compelling circumstances justifying the departure from the imposition of the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
Eastern Cape director of public prosecutions, Barry Madolo, commended the prosecutor and investigating team for ensuring that justice is seen to be done for the vulnerable and defenceless in society.
Director for Khula Community Development Project, Petros Majola, said that he is satisfied with the fact that this case took this long from the Easter 2022 to date. He said at least it is not even two full years; it is just at the end of 2023.
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