Africa-Press – South-Africa. Dismissing his claims of a set-up as “improbable and untrue” a judge convicted a 38-year-old man of a string of charges in connection with his eight-year reign of terror in his hometown of Munsieville, Krugersdorp, when he pretended to be a police officer and raped and sexually exploited several boys.
“Why would they wrongfully implicate you? Why would they lie that you were not circumcised?” Judge Dario Dosio asked when he delivered the judgment in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Friday.
During the trial it was alleged that 38-year-old Michael Ncube had lured and sexually exploited boys, aged 11 to 16, between 2014 and 2022.
The court heard that the offences occurred at Ncube’s home in Munsieville and that he had given some of his victims alcohol.
Going through the evidence presented in court, Dosio said Ncube used his minor son as bait to befriend his victims.
He gave them alcohol, raped them and, pretending to be a police officer, threatened to arrest them.
Some of the boys testified that Ncube had a full police uniform, a card, a gun, a mask, a blue light and dockets.
“He exploited their vulnerability. He used the same modus operandi and accused them of falsely implicating him because they stole his cellphones. One victim couldn’t read and write correctly,” the judge said.
His 16-year-old son didn’t see what transpired because he stayed in an outside room.
The son testified that he never saw his father with female friends and that he suspected that his father molested boys.
He confirmed that Ncube had a full police uniform, police car, marked face mask and gun, Dosio said.
“He provided the boys who visited their home with everything they needed. A neighbour also testified that [he thought] Ncube was a cop in Krugersdorp. He had a gun and blue police light in his car, claiming he was employed to help boys abusing drugs.
“The neighbour added that he hadn’t seen Ncube with a woman in the five years he had known him and that he had seen many boys at his house.
“Another victim testified that Ncube was not circumcised. He saw his penis when he was raped. Others corroborated him,” Dosio said.
According to Dosio, one of the victims was vulnerable and became less powerful when he moved into Ncube’s house, allowing him to exploit him sexually. He said the boy later confided in his mother and said that Ncube had raped him.
However, Ncube later claimed that police had influenced the victims to lay charges against him.
Dosio said:
“The court finds the version of the accused is improbable and untrue.”
Dosio found that the victims’ testimony was honest.
“One victim gave Ncube his trust. Sexual exploitation was easily carried out by the accused. The boy broke away from the sexual exploitation by informing his mother.”.
The court was satisfied the State had proven Ncube’s guilt.
“Ncube didn’t impress the court as to why a victim would fabricate his evidence to implicate him. Boys are reluctant to report rape. One complained the rape was traumatic. He was a vulnerable child from somewhere where his basic needs were never met. He didn’t have parents and lived with his sister,” Dosio added.
The case continues.
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