Youths guilty in Mankwente trial

By Wendy Sa Joe

VERDICT: Simphiwe Nivathi, 18, Nqaba Mabhoza, 20, Vusumzi Msuthu, 18, and Makhwenkwe Sonyashe, 18, faced judgment in the Bisho High Court yesterday for the kidnapping, rape and murder of Lydia Mankwente, 20, and the robbery, with aggravating circumstances, of Sithembele April.
Picture by MIKE THAYER

BISHO - Three youths were found guilty in the high court here yesterday on various charges arising from the rape and murder of Lydia Mankwente.

Judge Yusuf Ebrahim delivered his verdict to an almost full courtroom, which included Mankwente's father Wilson, neighbour Noluthando Mbali and Michelle Cocks' parents. Two of the youths appearing in this case have been convicted involved in the Cocks and Isla Grundy attempted murder case.

Four youths - Simphiwe Nivathi, 18, Nqaba Mabhoza, 20, Vusumzi Msuthu, 19, and Makhwenkwe Sonyashe, 18 - each faced one charge of murder, one of rape, one of kidnapping and one of robbery with aggravating circumstances.

Nivathi was found guilty of the kidnapping, rape and murder of Mankwente, 20, and the robbery of Sithembele April, with aggravating circumstances.

Mabhoza was found guilty of the robbery of April, with aggravating circumstances, and the rape of Mankwente. He was discharged on the counts of murder and kidnapping.

Msuthu was found not guilty on all four counts.

Sonyashe was convicted on the rape charge and of being an accessory to the murder. He was discharged on the other two counts.

Ebrahim said: "We are of the unanimous view the murder was premeditated. It is further self-evident that accused number one (Nivathi) deliberately drove the motor car at her in order to knock her down and prevent her from leaving.

"But, even this was not enough since he then drove over her body a number of times. This demonstrates that he wanted to be absolutely certain that she should not remain alive. We are in no doubt that his actions were premeditated."

Ebrahim recalled the circumstances surrounding Mankwente's death.

Mankwente and April were walking in NU2, Mdantsane, on September 3 last year when a red Toyota Tazz pulled up alongside them. April was robbed of his lumber jacket, T-shirt and cap at gunpoint and Mankwente was forced into the car.

Mankwente's own lumber jacket and T-shirt were taken from her, leaving her torso naked.

The car, driven by Nivathi, proceeded to Sisa Dukashe stadium, where Nivathi stripped her naked and raped her twice - once from behind. She was also raped by Mabhoza and Sonyashe at the stadium.

She was again forced into the car where Nivathi is to have told her to sit on the floor of the vehicle, naked with her legs between the front two seats. Nivathi then sprayed Q20 into Mankwente's vagina.

Later Nivathi stopped at a dump, where he told Mankwente to get out of the car and go home. He then drove into her, knocking her down, before reversing and driving over her six times.

The case was postponed to Thursday for argument in mitigation of sentence. The Cocks and Grundy case, set down for two days for sentencing, proceeds today.