A 34-year-old man from Makanye in Limpopo was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday for raping a child neighbour.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) provincial spokesperson  Mashudu Malabu-Dzhangi said the man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, was sentenced at the Mankweng regional court.

Malabu-Dzhangi said the child was raped in March 2019 after being sent to a shop by her mother.

“The victim did not come back until it became late and people started looking for her. The victim came back with a R20 note and she reported that it was given to her by the accused after he raped her.”

Malabu-Dzhangi said an examination at hospital confirmed she was raped.

“The victim reported that accused called her to an incomplete house and undressed her before raping her and giving her R20 to buy snacks. She revealed that was the third time he had raped her in the same house,” added Malabu-Dzhangi.

Malabu-Dzhangi said the victim had since “become aggressive towards fellow classmates and disrespectful to the elders”.

“Her school performance has deteriorated significantly. The mother says the incident has negatively affected the whole family as they feel that the accused destroyed their lives too,” Malabu-Dzhangi said.

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