By REGINALD KANYANE
17 December 2025- A man (59) was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court for repeated rape of girl (14) in 2019. The accused, Mluleki Zicina committed the heinous crimes at Dobsonville, in Soweto.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Gauteng, Phindi Mjonondwane said Zicina, who is the step-grandfather to the victim, exploited his relationship with the victim’s grandmother. Mjonondwane said the incident came to light when the grandmother found the accused on top of the victim, busy raping her.
“The case was reported at the Dobsonville Police Station, leading to Zicina’s arrest on 21 May 2019, where investigations led by Sergeant Mabungu, revealed that the accused had repeatedly raped her, instructing her to remain silent and promising her money.
“The state called the victim’s grandmother, who testified that the child now suffers from severe emotional, physical, and psychological trauma,” she said.
Mjonondwane further said she struggles with challenges, including anxiety, aggression, low self-esteem, and poor academic performance. She added that these impacts were highlighted during sentencing.
State prosecutor, Arnold Limekhaya emphasised the gravity of the offence, the vulnerability of rape victims, and the betrayal of trust by the accused, who abused his position of authority and the principle of Ubuntu. Limekhaya underscored the permanent scars inflicted on the victim and the broader societal outcry against such crimes, which deprive children of their constitutional rights to safety and freedom.
Magistrate Anneline Africa, in delivering the sentence, considered the extreme cruelty and manipulative nature of the accused’s actions, the degree of violence used, and the profound harm caused to the vulnerable and defenceless victim.
Meanwhile, Mjonondwane said the court noted Banda’s exploitation of the victim’s mother through alcohol and his pretence of being a trusted figure. She said all cases of sexual violence encroach on the rights to dignity and privacy of the victims as enshrined in our constitution, hence the NPA aggressively prosecutes these cases.
The Guardian 