The Northern Cape provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, has welcomed the 15-year prison sentence that was handed down to a 51-year-old rapist by the Galeshewe Regional Court recently.
THE NORTHERN Cape provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, has welcomed the 15-year prison sentence that was handed down to a 51-year-old rapist, Lesley Khubulani Zikhali, by the Galeshewe Regional Court recently.
According to police spokesperson Sergeant Molefi Shemane, the incident occurred on December 26, 2022, when Zikhali approached the 38-year-old victim, who was visiting friends in Lethabo Park, Roodepan.
Zikhali persuaded the victim to come with him to his shanty under the pretence of retrieving money to buy drinks. Once there, he locked the door and raped her.
The victim managed to escape, sought help, and reported the crime to the police. Zikhali was subsequently tracked down and arrested the following day.
On September 3, the Galeshewe Regional Court convicted him and imposed a 15-year prison sentence.
Lieutenant-General Otola and her management team welcomed the sentence and commended Detective Constable Beverly Matlhale of the Galeshewe SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences unit for her “sterling” investigative efforts and for ensuring that justice is served for crimes against women and children.
