By Delisa Thwala
A 22-year-old woman was sentenced to two years imprisonment or E5 000 fine for setting her boyfriend’s house on fire, causing damages worth over E50 000.
Lindiwe Dlamini appeared before Mbabane Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi facing three counts related to the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act of 2018 and arson.
On count one, Dlamini was charged with contravening the SODV Act of 2018, in that on August 27, 2023 she intentionally set Mlandvo Dlamini’s house alight while he was sleeping.
Lindiwe was also charged with arson in that she unlawfully damaged property valued at E49 655 after setting the house alight at Dlangeni area. She was further charged with damaging her boyfriend’s iPhone 7 valued at E3 000.
The accused elected to conduct her own defence and pleaded guilty to all the charges preferred against her,
She told the court that she committed the offences out of anger after her boyfriend assaulted and accused her of seeing other men.
“We had gone to a drinking spot in the area when he accused me of seeing other men and further assaulted me. He also told me that he was using me and out of anger I decided to burn the house while he was sleeping,” she said.
Lindiwe said after setting the house alight, she then rushed to the neighbours to inform them. In mitigation she pleaded with the court to be lenient with her, stating that she was still upgrading some of her subjects at school.
The damaged items include a Television set worth E3 000, a decoder E3 500, estonia bed E9 000, couches E5 000, fridge E2 500, Base E800, kitchen utensils E300, Door E800, window glass E250, bedding E10 000, electric bucket E150, essential kettle E100, microwave E2 000 and a 14 Inch iron valued at E700.
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In the same court, Sipho Tsabedze 27 of Mpolonjeni was convicted for housebreaking and theft after he stole items worth over E17000.
Tsabedze was said to have broken into a house and stole different items including a television set worth E3 500, microwave valued at El 500,
refrigerator valued at E12 000, extension cable worth E150, torch worth E150, a perfume costing E300 and another perfume worth E150. After his legal rights were explained to him in court,
Tsabedze elected to conduct his own defence and pleaded guilty to the charge.
In mitigation, he pleaded with the court to be lenient when sentencing claiming that he was taking care of his children.
He told the court that he committed the offence because he did not earn enough money to take care of his family.
He had appeared before Mbabane Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi, who sentenced him to five years imprisonment with an option of E5 000 fine.
Another South African man, Simon, 37, was found in possession of a firearm with 20 bullets and has been sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of E2 000 fine.
Simon faced two counts of contravening the Arms and Ammunition Act 24/1964, appearing before Mbabane Magistrate Chazile Thwala. On count one, he was charged for being found in possession of a firearm without a valid licence or permit.
He was also charged for being found in possessing 20 live rounds of ammunition without a valid permit. Simon was arrested on Thursday and appeared on June 14, 2024.
In mitigation he pleaded with the court to be lenient when sentencing him on grounds that he had children who were dependent on him.
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Timothy Dlamini was charged with the offence of contravening section 3 (3) of the sexual offences and Domestic Violence Act of 2018. Dlamini was remanded back into custody until July 17,2024.
On June 12, 2024, at or near Nkoyoyo area, in the Hhohho Region, the said accused person did have an unlawful sexual act with one * Samu aged 10 of Nkoyoyo area and did thereby contravene the said act.
Take further notice that this offence is accompanied by aggravating factors as envisaged by Section 185 bis of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act No: 67/1938 as amended in that the accused person did not use a condom during the commission of the offence.
This, according to the Court, exposed the victim to the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS.
In the charge sheet, it was further mentioned that the victim was below the age of 18 years at the time of the commission of the offence and, thus, by law, is incapable of appreciating the nature of the sexual act.
Take notice further that in the event of conviction, the offender’s particulars will be included in the national register for sex offenders.
Meanwhile, Thembela Tfwala,was charged with the offence of Section 68 (1) as read with Section 122 (7) of the Road Traffic Act 6 of 2007.
That on June 13, ,2024, at about 17: 13 hours and at or near Ka-Teba, in the region of Hhohho, Mbabane, the said accused the driver of motor vehicle DSD 544 DQ, a Toyota double cab did wrongfully and unlawfully drive the said motor vehicle along MR 3 Public Road and parked the said motor vehicle on the roadway and thus contravened the above Cited Act.
Tfwala had a hard time convincing the Magistrate how his car ended up in that space. He justified that his car tyres had missed the parking spot by an inch.
However, Magistrate Qondile reminded the car owner that, when he elected to conduct his own defence he took an oath to plead guilty to all his counts. He was fined E1800 or 10 months in prison.
