Eastern Cape police have welcomed the two life terms imposed on a man who raped and murdered a 14-year-old girl.
48-year-old Lungephi Ngeshweni was sentenced in the Willowvale Regional Magistrate Court on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Captain Jackson Manatha said Lungephi Ngeshweni was also given an additional four years.
“The accused was found guilty of kidnapping, raping and murder of 14-year-old Dorcas Ncancali. It is alleged that the accused approached the deceased at her home which is at Matanzima location Dadamba village, Willowvale on 18 July 2014 during the day.”
Manatha said the key witness in the case was the younger brother of the deceased who informed his parents and the community that the last person who went way with the deceased was the accused Lungephi Ngeshweni who was their neighbour.
"Police and the community started to search for the 14 year old Dorcas Ncancali during the evening of 18 July 2014 with negative results. The community members woke up very early in the morning of 19 July 2014 and searched at the forest. They found the lifeless body of the deceased who appeared to have been strangled to death.'
He said Willowvale Police then traced and arrested the accused who was charged with kidnapping, rape and murder.
"He was found guilty on all the charges. He was sentenced to undergo four years imprisonment for kidnapping, life imprisonment for rape and life imprisonment for murder on 17 June 2015. Lungephi Ngeshweni was out on a parole for rape which he committed in 2003 when he committed the three crimes. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the rape which he committed in 2003 and for which he was out on parole."
Provincial Commissioner , Lieutenant General Celiwe Binta commended Willowvale Police detectives for thoroughly investigating the cases and sent well prepared dockets to court which led to the successful prosecution of the rapist and murderer. She vowed that SAPS will always make sure that criminals who prey on vulnerable women and children are behind bars indefinitely.
