A pastor was sentenced to seven years in prison in the Motherwell Regional Court yesterday, May 26 for raping a man in 2013.
According to police information, the victim became acquainted with his rapist, Luthando Matodlana, via the Mxit social networking app in January 2013. The victim visited Matodlana at his house between February and March that year, during which he was raped.
The victim was 22 and Matodlana 35 years old at the time.
“After sharing his experience on social media in 2020, the victim was advised to open a case,” said police spokesperson, Col. Priscilla Naidu.
“In October 2020, Matodlana was arrested and subsequently released on bail. Last week, he was found guilty of rape and immediately remanded in custody until his sentencing yesterday,” she added.
Acting Nelson Mandela District Commissioner, Brig. Thandiswa Kupiso, applauded the prowess of the Motherwell Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for ensuring a prison sentence for the accused. “Such sentencing brings hope to victims of sexual abuse and that justice will prevail no matter how long it takes, making sure that perverted predators cannot hide behind a façade. We encourage victims of Gender Based Violence to speak out against any form of abuse and to expose those responsible for such demeaning criminal acts,” Kupiso added.
