Potchefstroom – A female “church leader” who was fully clothed when she was found by law enforcers with several naked congregants – including children – has been sentenced to two years in prison wholly suspended.
The Rustenburg Regional Court recently sentenced a 36-year-old Zoliswa Menziwa to two years imprisonment for contravention of Section 22 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 2007 (Act No. 32 of 2007).
The sentence emanated from an incident in June last year wherein the accused was found with other five congregants, who were naked, together with 11 children in a house that was used as a church at Sondela Phase 1, Boitekong outside Rustenburg.
The accused, thought to be the church leader, was the only individual who was found clothed at the time.
After preliminary investigations, all children between the ages of four to 12 – six boys and five girls – were removed from the house and handed to social workers for intervention, and ultimately placed under the care of other family members.
The case was then allocated to the Rustenburg Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit for further investigation.
After thorough investigations conducted by the unit commander, Colonel Mosidi Mafora, and Warrant Officer Phiri Mfetane, the accused was found guilty as charged while the other five accused were acquitted.
Menziwa was sentenced to two years imprisonment which is wholly suspended for five years on condition that she is not convicted of the same charge during the period of suspension.
North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena welcomed the sentencing of the accused.
He added that the SA Police Service remains committed to fighting crimes against women and children.
Lieutenant General Kwena said defending the vulnerable will always remain a priority for the men and women in blue in the Province.
He also lauded the investigating team for the sterling job of ensuring that perpetrators of this kind of crime face the full might of the law.
