KZN’s ‘drunk’ sangoma sentenced to two life terms after raping and slitting woman’s throat

Lindokuhle Mzimela, 25, was sentenced to two life imprisonment sentences by the Pietermaritzburg high court.
Lindokuhle Mzimela, 25, was sentenced to two life imprisonment sentences by the Pietermaritzburg high court.
Image: 123RF/Allan Swart

A KwaZulu-Natal traditional healer was sentenced to two life sentences and a further five years after he pleaded guilty to slitting a woman’s throat after he raped her.

Lindokuhle Mzimela, 25, was sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg high court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty two days earlier.

He had been charged with the kidnapping, rape and murder of Philile Nzuza, 38.

In his plea, which was read out in court by advocate Amanda Hulley, Mzimela laid out what had transpired on the evening of December 1 2022.

Mzimela, from Matshana in Empangeni, north of KwaZulu-Natal, said he joined his friends at KwaMabaso’s Tavern where they consumed alcohol from the morning until 10pm. 

He admitted that even though he consumed alcohol on the day in question, he was able to differentiate between right and wrong, and thus act accordingly.

“The tavern closed at 10pm and we separated. I left with my friend to go to another tavern. On the way to the tavern, we saw a male and a female on the road. We decided to approach them to try to rob them of their cellphones.

“As we approached, I took out a knife to threaten them. The male saw us and ran away. The female was left behind. I later found out that the female was Nzuza. We asked her for a cellphone and she said she did not have one. We decided that since she had no phone, we should take her and rape her,” said Mzimela. 

He said he used his knife to threaten her to walk with them and they held her arms without her consent and took her to an unfinished house structure.

Mzimela said when they got there, he instructed Nzuza to sit on the floor and asked her to remove her dress. 

“She refused, I got angry and stabbed her around her stomach and chest area until she removed her dress and underwear. When she was naked ... I raped her.” 

“Once I was done raping her, my friend also raped her. Once he was done, I realised that she will report us and get us arrested. I decided to kill her. I slit her throat with my knife. We waited until she was still and ran away,” he said. 

Mzimela was arrested and charged on December 6 2022.

Mzimela said he was very remorseful for his actions.

“I am sorry for my actions and regret what I have done,” he added. 

TimesLIVE


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