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Johannesburg - The family of the 17-year-old who was raped by her cousin, kwaito star Sipho Ndlovu, celebrated his conviction on Saturday, saying it took three painful years for justice to be delivered.
“God has answered our prayers,” said a relieved Bab’ Ngwenya, the teenager’s father.
“As a family, we had lost hope and given up. But when he was found guilty of rape on Friday, we were happy that justice was served. Now my daughter is free.”
Ndlovu, known by his stage name Brickz, was found guilty of rape by the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on Friday. He had raped his relative in November 2013 at his home in Ruimsig.
Ngwenya said he had previously given Ndlovu a chance “to come and asked for forgiveness from the family and the victim”. But Ndlovu showed no remorse, telling him that he would not apologise for what he did not do.
“We are family and I was ready to forgive Sipho because he is like a son to me. But he chose to act like an animal. I blame him and those who supported him. We did not have to go this far if he had come forward and apologised ... Uvuna okutshalile [You reap what you sow],” he said.
When the charges first came to light in 2013, City Press reported that Ndlovu’s wife, Nqobile, questioned the teenager after she started acting strangely. She eventually revealed that Ndlovu had raped her.
Nqobile and the teen’s father went to the police station together to report the crime.
On Friday, Magistrate John Baloyi told a packed courtroom that Ndlovu was guilty as charged as he failed to convince the court that he did not commit the crime.
Ndlovu’s R50 000 bail was immediately revoked and he was led down to the holding cells, where he will remain in custody until his sentencing on July 20.
