Malelane – A brave teenage rape survivor helped to solve the crime when she recognised a burly beer delivery man as the person who had violated her more than a year ago and alerted the police.
On a fateful day in 2020, Prince Mashaba parked his vehicle along the roadside between Mangweni and Tonga and alighted with evil intentions.
Perhaps emboldened by his huge frame, Mashaba, pounced on a vulnerable 14-year-old girl as she walked home alone from her aunt’s place.
He dragged her into a nearby sugarcane field, where he violated her.
Mashaba drove off and disappeared.
The beastly attack was reported to the police in March 2020.
The following year, in July, the brave young rape survivor saw Mashaba as he delivered beer at a shop.
She recognised Mashaba as the man that attacked her in the sugarcane fields and raised the alarm.
Mashaba, who was 32 years old then, was promptly arrested by police.
Since his arrest, Mashaba has been languishing in jail. He was tried and found guilty of rape.
This week, the burly rapist got his comeuppance.
Mashaba appeared in the Nkomazi Regional Court, near Malelane, in Mpumalanga, where he was slapped with a 20-year sentence for his dastardly deeds.
