Man who raped, impregnated pupil in 2001 is sentenced to life

148
FILE

A rape that occurred when the man was 30 years old and when the pupil was 15 has landed the now 46-year-old man a life imprisonment.

Elphas Ndlovu (46) was a teacher at a Mkhondo secondary school when he raped the learner who was 15 at the time.

Mpumalanga police said the family of the now 30-year-old woman was relieved by the sentencing of Ndlovu.

The girl fell pregnant after Ndlovu raped her and approached the family to apologise, saying he’d pay the damage.

But then Ndlovu disappeared and the family opened a case in February 2002 and Ndlovu was arrested but released on a bail.

“The investigating officer in this case resigned and the station commander died.

“When the new station commander arrived‚ he made a follow-up on cases with dockets that were gathering dust.

“He wanted to know why this case was never solved and appointed a new investigating officer who found there was a warrant of arrest in the docket,” said police spokesman Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, adding as a result of this the teacher was arrested last year.

The Mkhondo Magistrates Court found the man guilty of the crime he committed 16 years ago and sentenced him to life imprisonment on 6 February 2017.

(edited by ZK)

Send tips to editor@013.co.za