Cape Town - The Randburg Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a man involved in the 2017 gang rape of a woman in Diepsloot to life imprisonment.
Mandulo Moyo’s conviction was secured by the use of DNA evidence.
According to the provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Phindi Mjonondwane, on April 28, 2017, the victim was asleep with her then two-month-old baby when Moyo, along with two other assailants knocked on the door and pretended to be police officers.
Upon opening the door the young mother was hit with a brick on her head.
She was knocked unconscious and once she woke up, she found one of the men raping her and another of the men raped her thereafter.
One of the assailants raped her without a condom.
“The assailants then fled with her belongings like cell phones and bank cards. She reported the case and was medically examined with DNA swabs extracted. The case remained unsolved until the apprehension of the accused a month later, in another Diepsloot gang rape case,” Mjonondwane said.
Moyo’s buccal swab was taken and sent to the forensic laboratory and this in turn triggered the crime kit submitted in the unsolved matter for further investigation.
A police sergeant was instructed to obtain further confirmatory samples from Moyo.
“These came back positive, confirming that the accused’s DNA was found on the vaginal swabs in April 28, 2017, case. He was then charged with rape, robbery with aggravating circumstances as well as contravention of the Immigration Act,” Mjonondwane said.
During the trial, State prosecutor, advocate Given Mbedzi asked the court to reject Moyo’s version, claiming he was in a relationship with the victim.
Mbedzi further submitted Moyo was on a mission of destruction as he knew he was illegally in the country and could, therefore, not easily be traced.
He told the court Moyo terrorised women in the “sanctity of their own homes” where they thought they were safe.
Mbedzi also told the court the victim had suffered physical and psychological scars as she underwent surgery after her eye socket was broken when she was attacked with the brick.