The family of a woman who was robbed, raped and stabbed in Kuyasa two years ago protested outside the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court last Friday to question the 10-year sentence given to her attacker.
The family was accompanied by ANC members in Khayelitsha and former premier of Gauteng and currently the party’s first deputy secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane.
The family expressed shock and disbelief when they received a message three weeks ago from the court stating that Luvo Mgijima had been given a 10-year sentence.
They immediately felt that this was too light of a sentence for his action.
The young woman, now aged 22, had just been dropped off by an Uber taxi around midnight after returning from her friend’s birthday party when Mgijima ambushed her.
He grabbed her from behind while holding a knife to her neck, forcing her to move to a quiet and dark place where he robbed and raped her.
The victim’s aunt said her niece realised who had attacker her. She asked him how he could do this to her when he knew her and they attended church together with his parents and lived in the same area.
This, she said, is what perhaps prompted him to stabbed her in the neck multiple times and leave her for dead.
She said one of her children who was coming from work later spotted their cousin walking in a daze and bleeding profusely.
He took her home and rushed her to hospital.
“I asked her what happened and she replied immediately that she was raped by Luvo. Recently she was diagnosed with depression and whenever she goes to a shop she must be accompanied even though the shop is just across the street because she is still very scared.
“At home she wants all the doors to be locked. She was writing exams last November and failed two subjects because mentally she is still affected.
“’We feel that the sentence is too light and we are appealing that it must be reviewed and he must be given a life sentence in imprisonment.
“We met with the senior prosecutor who told us that they are going to look into factors which they might have not given a thorough look at and promised us that he will be brought back to court but will need to follow proper procedures.
“We are happy with this and we will feel that justice would have been served. We asked the lawyer who was involved in the case how can a person who committed three different serious crimes be given a mere 10-year sentence. He first robbed her, raped and attempted to kill her and yet is given such a light sentence,” she said.
Ms Mokonyane said they wanted to send a strong message to rapists that they will not bow down to them.
She said they also wanted to show the family support during these trying times and rightfully they should stand up when justice has not been served.
Ms Mokonyane said they are there to support them so that they could know that their daughter did not nothing wrong.
“Any child is my child. Luvo Mgijima is a manipulative criminal who saw that all odds were against him, then he opted to quickly admit his crime so that he could get a minimum sentence and be viewed as if he was remorseful of his actions.
“The senior prosecutor has assured us that more tests will be conducted on the victim which will show that he was not just raping her but his intentions was to kill. The law must be on the side of the victim,” she said.
