Life in prison for five men who raped, killed woman in Crown Mines
Image: X/ Women for Change
Five men who raped and killed Sinoxolo Noah in Johannesburg in 2022 have been sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Johannesburg high court on Wednesday sentenced Tumelo Pitso, Tebello Moeketsi, Tsepo Ramphalla, Napo Moketo and Thabiso Setona.
The men kidnapped Noah, 29, on her way to a petrol station in Crown Mines on July 10 2022. They dragged her to nearby bushes where they gang raped her and took her money. They then strangled her and threw her body in a dam.
“Noah’s family became concerned when she never made it to the garage where she was supposed to meet her mother and did not return home,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said.
“They reported her missing and the police discovered her body two days after her disappearance at a nearby sewage dam.”
The accused were arrested after a mob justice attack by angry community members who heard of the men’s involvement.
“Investigations later linked three of the accused through DNA swabs obtained from the deceased and the accused.”
Prosecutor advocate Riana Williams said the accused opted to kill Noah after raping her because they knew she could have identified them as she was a resident in the same area.
Mjonondwane said Williams asked the court to ensure the men were removed from society for a long time to prevent a repeat of their crimes.
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