The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court has sentenced 46-year-old Lindani Gcumisa to four terms of life imprisonment following his conviction on four counts of rape which he committed at his home at Imbali Unit 18 in the Plessislaer policing precincts between February and March 2024. The sentence was handed down on 11 April 2025.
On the evening of 23 February 2024, a 12-year-old boy was sent to a tuck shop and took along his two friends. When he was at the tuck shop, Gcumisa, who is commonly known as ‘Uncle Lee’, called for the 12-year-old and took him to his room where he raped him. Gcumisa gave his victim R5 and told him not to tell anyone. When the victim returned, one of the friends instructed him to take off his trouser and they inspected his buttocks. After noticing some fluids, the friends convinced the victim to tell his mother.
A case of rape was opened and the suspect was arrested. Thorough police investigations revealed that it was not the first time that ‘Uncle Lee’ had raped him. The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit detectives also uncovered that the victim’s two friends, aged 10 and 13 years old, as well as one of the friends’ 9-year-old sibling were also raped by the same ‘Uncle Lee’, and cases were duly opened against the perpetrator.
The Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said that he was impressed by the investigating officers who collected evidence which led to the ultimate conviction. He also applauded the court for sending the perpetrator to prison for the rest of his life, saying that it is minus one predator from society.
“Rape remains a cause for concern for police in KwaZulu-Natal and sentences such as this one encourages the police to work even harder in solving cases of rape. Victims are also encouraged to speak out and open cases knowing that justice will be served”, said Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi.
