Today, The North Gauteng High court sentenced Mr Ntokozo Hadebe to nine (9) life terms of imprisonment for six (6) counts of rape and three (3) counts of murder. He further received 15 years in respect of three(3) counts of kidnapping.
Mr Hadebe was convicted on 28 October 2014 on charges of kidnapping, rape and murder of three girls at Diepsloot in 2013. Zandile Mali, Yonelisa Mali and Anelisa Mkhonto were lured into Mr Hadebe’s shack where they were raped and murdered. The bodies of the three deceased were discovered few days after they were reported missing.
NPA congratulates Adv Mokgaeti Makgwatha and Adv Bakedi Maoke for their excellent work in securing this conviction and sentence. In aggravation, the prosecutors argued that the court should not deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence as the accused failed to show that compelling and substantial circumstances justifying the imposition of a lesser sentence exists. They further argued that the fact that the accused did not show any sign of remorse should be regarded as an aggravating factor.
NPA welcomes the sentence. We believe that it sends a very strong and unambiguous message that perpetrators of heinous crimes against the vulnerable have no place in our society.
