BONUS - RUSTENBURG – The Rustenburg Regional Court recently sentenced 43-year-old Mziwoxolo Zozi to 85 years imprisonment on seven rape cases and for possession of an unlicensed firearm.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000).According to provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Adéle Myburgh, the sentencing emanated from incidents wherein Zozi raped women aged between 17 and 34 in Rustenburg, Phokeng, Mooinooi and Marikana between April 2018 and July 2022.
In one of the cases reported in the early hours of Sunday morning, 15 April 2018 in Marikana, a 23-year-old victim was sleeping inside her house in Skierlik Village, when suddenly overpowered by the convict, who threatened her with a firearm and ultimately raped her.
In another case reported on Saturday, 26 March 2022, Zozi overpowered a 17-year-old victim in Freedom Park outside Phokeng. The victim woke up when the convict removed her blankets, pointed at her with a firearm and raped her. Zozi was identified as a possible suspect following a comprehensive police investigation, then traced to Marikana and arrested on Tuesday, 29 November 2022. The convict was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm, and was linked to the crimes through forensic DNA leads. There are currently five more pending rape cases against the accused in the Rustenburg Regional Court.
Furthermore, he was linked to cases in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng Provinces. The convict, who has been in custody since his arrest, will effectively serve 50 years in jail as some of the sentences will run concurrently with others.
The Acting Provincial Police Commissioner of North West, Major General Patrick Asaneng lauded the investigating Officer, Sergeant Obakeng Rasego of Rustenburg Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit and the State Prosecutor, Advocate Thebe Nong, for working hard in securing these sentences. He reiterated that the police will work tirelessly to ensure that perpetrators of gender-based violence are brought to book.
