Pretoria – Convicted rapist 32-year-old Mulero Nyangero from Pretoria West, Tshwane, has been sentenced to life in prison by the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court.
Nyangero, who is a Zimbabwean, was further sentenced to five years in prison for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
The court ordered that the sentences should run concurrently, and he be declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Narrating details established during the trial, Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa (NPA) Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said: “On 14 August 2020 in the afternoon, the victim was running on Kloof Street in Pretoria West, when three men came out of the nearby bush, approached, and dragged her into the bushes where Nyangero raped her”.
Mahanjana added: “While Nyengero was raping her the other two men were assaulting her and threaten her with a knife.
“Thereafter, they forced her to transfer money to them via cellphone banking, tied her hands, and fled the scene.
“The victim untied herself, ran to the road, where she got a lift home from a vehicle passing by.
“Thereafter, she went to Pretoria West police station, where she reported the matter.”
After investigations, Nyangero was arrested on 21 February 2021 at a tavern in Pretoria West and has been in custody since.
In court, Nyangero pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him and denied ever committing the offences.
However, state prosecutor Advocate Chester Molaba presented compelling evidence by the investigating officers and the victim, which proved that indeed Nyangero committed the offences.
During sentencing proceedings through his legal representative, Nyangero asked the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentences because he is married and has two minor children that he needs to provide for and care for.
Furthermore, he asked the court to consider the fact that he has been in custody for four years since his arrest.
Advocate Molaba, however, argued against the deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment because Nyangero showed no remorse for the serious crimes of Gender Based Violence (GBV) he committed, which are prevalent in the country.
Furthermore, Advocate Molaba argued that the offences were inhumane, vicious, and brutal against a defenceless woman.
In delivering the judgment, Magistrate Themba Ndwandwe agreed with the state that the crimes committed by Nyangero were inhumane and that he showed no remorse.
Furthermore, he said that his actions showed that he had no respect for women because he treated the victim like an animal.
Therefore, he found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence.
Welcoming the sentence, Acting Director of Public Prosecution Advocate Marika Jansen van Vuuren, applauded the work of the prosecutor and the investigating officer, Captain Mkhonto.
“She further hopes that this sentence reaffirms the NPA’s commitment to prosecuting crimes of Gender Based Violence,” Mahanjana said.
