Pretoria - The Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court has sentenced self-proclaimed prophet Delani Erick Zwane to two life terms for the rape of two minor girls, aged 14 and 15.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the two friends were raped when they went to consult with Zwane on different occasions in 2018.
Zwane apparently gave them a drink that made them feel dizzy. Thereafter he asked them to undress so they could “steam”. He then raped them and threatened to kill them using “muti” should they tell anyone about the incident.
In February 2019, the mother of one of the girls went to consult another prophet, who informed her that her child had been raped by Zwane. The mother then confronted the child, who admitted the ordeal and also informed her about her friend.
The parents of the victims went to Zwane’s home in a bid to confront him. On seeing community members gathering in his yard from a distance, he went on the run for six months.
He later returned and handed himself over to the police on September 25, 2019, at which point he was arrested and kept in custody.
During his trial Zwane pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him, however, the State was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Zwane had committed the crimes he was accused of.
NPA regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Zwane was initially charged with three counts of rape, however, he was acquitted on one count, of the rape of an 18-year-old woman. Mahanjana said all the victims were from the same neighbourhood as Zwane in Soshanguve.
In pleading for the courts to hand down a heavy sentence, state prosecutor Sifiso Hlongwane argued that “there can be no greater crime than to deprive a child of her innocence, especially a vulnerable child”.
He further reminded the court that based on one of the victim impact statements, at the time of the incidents one of the victims was a virgin.
Moreover, he stressed to the courts not to ignore the fact that the country had a high level of gender-based violence (GBV), therefore the court should impose a sentence of life imprisonment.
Mahanjana said the NPA welcomed the sentence of life for both crimes and remained dedicated to fighting GBV.
"We truly appreciate the work of the investigating team of the SAPS that investigated this matter," she said.
Pretoria News