PHUMLANI Zungu (24) of Mtunzini appeared at the Ngwelezane Regional Court where he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for rape.
The sentenced which is to be served at Empangeni’s Qalakabusha Prison was welcomed by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni.
‘This is a fitting sentence for people who attack and rape vulnerable women and children. It will serve as a warning to those who think they will escape the long arm of the law. We encourage our women and children not to be intimidated by these criminals,’ said Ngobeni.
In March 2013, Zungu approached the then 21-year-old female victim in the Mtunzini area where he forced her into a nearby sugar cane plantation and subsequently assaulted, raped and threatened to kill her.
A case of rape was opened at the Mtunzini SAPS for investigation and was later taken over by the Empangeni Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit.
He was arrested and charged in April 2013.
