South Africa-Zimbabwean national who accosted a woman while she was jogging on Kloof Street in Pretoria West has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Lumka Mahanjana, NPA regional spokesperson, said Mulero Nyangero, 32, was one of three men who ambushed the jogger in August 2020.

“The attackers came out of the nearby bush, approached and dragged her into the bushes where Nyangero raped her while the two men assaulted her and threatened her with a knife. They forced her to transfer money to them via cellphone banking, tied her hands and fled the scene,” said Mahanjana.

The victim managed to untie herself and ran to the road where a passing motorist gave her a lift. She reported the attack at the Pretoria West police station. Nyangero was arrested months later at a tavern in Pretoria West and has been in custody since February 2021.

Mahanjana said Nyangero had pleaded not guilty and after the conviction had asked the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence because he is married and has two minor children who he needs to provide and care for.

The prosecutor, advocate Chester Molaba, argued against the deviation, saying: “Nyangero showed no remorse for the serious crimes of gender-based violence he committed, which are prevalent in the country.”

Magistrate Themba Ndwandwe said he found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence, as Nyangero “showed no remorse and the crime is inhumane”.

He imposed a life sentence for the rape and five years’ imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances, to run concurrently. – TimesLIVE