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KZN man sentenced to double life term for murder and rape of 10-year-old stepdaughter

A KZN man has been sentenced to two life terms in prison for the rape and murder of his 10-year-old stepdaughter.
A KZN man has been sentenced to two life terms in prison for the rape and murder of his 10-year-old stepdaughter.
Image: 123RF/Stockstudio44

When a KwaZulu-Natal mother sent her 10-year-old daughter to a tuck shop on January 28 she did not know it would be the last time she would see the young girl alive.

On Thursday, the Pietermaritzburg high court sentenced Lindiwe Ndwandwe's stepfather, Bongani Thokozani Dlamini, to two life terms in prison for her rape and murder.

Police said that when Lindiwe was sent to the tuck shop by her mother she bumped into Dlamini, who dragged her to an abandoned house at Efefe in the Nongoma area where he raped her.

“When the victim threatened to expose the accused he got agitated and strangled the victim to death. He buried her body in an old toilet and proceeded to his place of residence.

The victim’s mother got worried when her daughter did not return from the shop. She and the accused began searching for her (Lindiwe) with no luck. The matter was reported to Nongoma police and a missing person docket was opened for investigation.

“On February 6 2020, a member of the community was herding his cattle when he noticed a foot hidden in an old toilet and immediately alerted the police. The body was identified as that of a missing Lindiwe and charges of murder and rape were opened,” police said.

“While the detectives from Nongoma were busy conducting the investigation they received information that the victim was once sexually violated by her stepfather in 2018 and threatened to kill her should she tell anyone. The accused was taken to the station for questioning and he confessed to killing the little girl,” police added.