Metro

South African court sentences serial rapist, kidnapper to seven life imprisonment

Published

2 years ago

February 9, 2023

A 40-year-old serial rapist and kidnapper, Elvis Aaron Zulu, has been sentenced to seven life imprisonment sentences and a further 83 years term by a court in the Mpumalanga district after he was found guilty of abducting several women and raping them at gunpoint.

According to court documents, the Daantjie man had “spent three years kidnapping and raping women at gunpoint at graveyards, abandoned buildings and a church yard.”

In sentencing the convict, Judge Takalane Ratshivhumo told the court that the accused failed to show remorse to the victims for his actions.

Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in Mpumalanga, Monica Nyuswa, said between January 2011 and November 2014, Zulu raped at least nine women, one of them who was a minor.

“The accused would target his victims at gunpoint, take them to a nearby house and rape them. He would sometimes take his victims to a nearby graveyard, rape them and rob them of their belongings like cellphones and cash. These crimes were carried out in Pienaar, in the KwaBokweni district,” said Nyuswa.

The NPA said three other victims were gang raped by the accused and his accomplices.

“In one of the incidents on January 30, 2011, a 38-year-old woman was on her way to the shop when Zulu approached and and started speaking to her.”

“While they were talking, he grabbed her at a nearby abandoned house at gunpoint and raped her more than once. Zulu released the victim the following day and gave her taxi fare to travel back home,” Nyuswa said.

“In another incident, 10 months later, a woman was at the Msogwaba cemetery when the accused and his co-perpetrator emerged. Brandishing a knife and a firearm, the men laid the woman on a grave and gang-raped her on a tombstone.

“The accused’s rape spree came to light in November 2014, after he and his accomplices accosted another victim at Pienaar. They took a victim’s cellphone and dragged her to Hope of the Nations Ministry Church and raped her taking turns.”

“The accused was arrested after one of the victims was able to identify him to the police. Buccal swabs were taken and positively linked him with other rape cases. He pleaded not guilty in court and claimed consent from the victim who identified him,“ Nyuswa added.

She said evidence in the form of the women’s testimonies, was led by State advocate Tshepo Mahasha along with DNA evidence linking Zulu to the rapes and victim impact statements.

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Metro

Chinese mining giant CNMC set for $1.6 billion investment in Zambia

Published

12 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A Chinese mining giant, China Nonferrous Metal Mining Company (CNMC), has announced the investment of over $1.6 billion in Zambia, following successful discussions with President Hakainde Hichilema at the State House on Tuesday.

CNMC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Wen Gang, who held the discussions with Hichilema along with the Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, Han Jing, confirmed the company’s commitment to furthering Zambia’s economic development.

“We are actively investing in critical sectors of Zambia’s economy,” Gang said after the meeting.

He noted that CNMC was currently pumping water from Shaft 28 at Luanshya Copper Mine, where 29.9 million cubic liters have been cleared as part of intensified dewatering efforts, adding that the company plans to inject an additional $200 million to develop a greenfield mine on the Copperbelt.

President Hichilema who welcomed CNMC’s commitment, highlighted the potential economic impact of the firm’s investment which will include job opportunities for Zambians.

“This $1.6billion investment, alongside advanced technology and expansion, will extend operations and create more jobs and opportunities for Zambians, especially in mining contracting and supply,” the President said.

He also expressed gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government for their shared commitment to fostering growth and cooperation between the two countries.

Metro

Mpox immunisation scarcity slows Kinshasa’s epidemic fight

Published

18 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

A lack of mpox vaccine doses has prevented the Democratic Republic of the Congo from starting a campaign in the capital, Kinshasa, the response commander has confirmed. However, the number of cases nationwide is still rising, particularly among youngsters.

In mid-August, a new strain of pox started to spread from the Congo to neighbouring countries, prompting the WHO to declare a global health emergency. However, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, donors have been hesitant to turn their pledges into cash and vaccines.

The head of operations for Congo’s mpox control program, Cris Kacita, stated on Tuesday that the country needed more than 162,000 doses of vaccine to start a vaccination campaign in the capital, but that 53,921 doses were still available for use in prisons, where inmates are at greater risk because of unsanitary conditions.

The capital, which is home to about 20 million people, has so far been less impacted than other parts of the nation. In six other provinces, vaccination campaigns are now underway.

Along with additional shipments from Germany and the African Union, France has committed to providing 100,000 doses.

He added the arrival of vaccines was also delayed by the administrative process, which includes sending an official request, manufacturing, creating documentation and gaining import authorisations.

“As long as we don’t have the necessary quantity, it’s going to be complicated to launch (vaccination) in the 14 health zones,” Kacita told Reuters, referring to areas of Kinshasa.

According to a health ministry study, from October 28 to November 2, 1,017 new suspected cases were registered nationwide in Congo, including 45 confirmed cases and 16 fatalities.

Since children are almost four times more likely than adults to die from the new strain of mpox, the charity Save the Children warned on Wednesday that targeted vaccines were necessary to halt the virus from spreading quickly among children.

“Children are especially vulnerable to mpox – they explore by touch and taste, don’t always understand health guidance, and have weaker immune systems than adults,” Katia Vieira de Moraes LaCasse from Save the Children said.

According to Africa CDC data, there have been over 42,000 suspected cases of Mpox in the continent, with 1,100 deaths reported so far this year.

The Mpox virus can spread from person to person via intimate contact and also from place to person through objects and surfaces that a person infected with Mpox has touched.