Activism

TWO YEARS OF STRUGGLE, JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED

Update on case no: /CR no.101/06/07

Comrades,

This is to update you about the above case that was reported in Lusikisiki and supported by TAC comrades that today was theeeeee day that the perpetrator (Sonwabo Mangcongoza) was found guilty by the lusikisiki court of raping Nomthandazo Radebe who was 18 then and a TAC member, his had a female lawyer who to our surprise informed the court that “I believe that the victim has overcame the trauma therefore the magistrate should consider a lesser sentence”.

Thande had a male lawyer who acknowledged the violation of Thande’s basic human right to privacy and that if he only abused her physically she would be easily treated but the matter is of emotional abuse and therefore no treatment or psychological assistance would mend the pain she has endured and that it was a life time stigma and would be known by every community member that she was once raped, he then requested that the accused be taught a lesson by the court, that even other would learn from in order to respect the justice system.

Magistrate- “Such an offence can never be tolerated by any community, court of law as it is always mentioned by the media as a violation of human right, dignity and privacy and therefore it must come to an end. He further acknowledged that the accused is still young but at the same time HE is the one who is supposed to be protecting women and that he needs to be taught a lesson”.

In conclusion, the accused was then sentenced to a minimum of 13 yrs imprisonment and this took the court three days to come to this sentence.

Issued by TAC Lusikisiki