A 27-year-old man has been handed a life sentence for the rape and robbery of a woman who was jogging. Sizwe Bhengu attacked a woman who was jogging in the Nkandla area in February 2022. The Nkandla Regional Court in Nkandla in KwaZulu Natal handed down the sentence on Thursday.

KZN NPA spokesperson Natasha Remisson-Kara said that the woman was raped while she was doing her morning exercise. "The woman was out jogging when Bhengu ran behind her and threatened her with a knife asking for her cellphone. He then dragged her into a bush where he strangled her and raped her at knifepoint," Kara said. She added that security guards at nearby premises witnessed Bhengu dragging the woman into the bushes and called the police. The woman was rescued by the guards and the police. Bhengu was caught in the bushes.

Prosecutor Philile Shilenge led the evidence of the woman and the security guards, medical evidence from the doctor who examined the woman as well as the testimonies of the police officials who attended to the scene. In furtherance of the state's case, Shilenge submitted a Victim Impact Statement, compiled by the woman, and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Amanda Pretty Nxumalo. "In her statement, the woman said that the incident had severely affected all aspects of her life. She is afraid to go out especially in the evening as she expects someone to attack her," Kara said. Bhengu was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and one-year imprisonment for attempted robbery. The court further ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared unfit to possess a firearm.