Life imprisonment for Mdantsane man who raped girl, 10

The Mdantsane regional court on Tuesday sentenced Nkululeko “Wewe” Bushula to life imprisonment after he was convicted of raping a 10-year-old girl two years ago.  

The incident took place on the evening of March 3 2022 in Mdantsane, near East London, when the victim and two minor male relatives were locked outside their home by their grandmother because they were accused of making a noise.  

“Bushula, who was known to the children, saw them stranded and offered to take them to his home.

“Instead, he took them to a secluded area where he raped the girl, instructing the two boys to sleep separately,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said.

Bushula, 39, pleaded not guilty, claiming the victim falsely implicated him.  

“However, prosecutor Phillip Phoofolo pointed out several inconsistencies in Bushula’s defence,” Tyali said. 

Bushula failed to explain why he did not take the children to his home and his testimony was evasive and unsupported by evidence.   

Given the victim’s age, the court imposed the mandatory prescribed sentence of life imprisonment.  

Eastern Cape director of public prosecutions Barry Madolo said this conviction and sentence sent a strong message that crimes against children would not be tolerated.  

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