PROVINCIAL COMMISSIONER HAILS FOUR LIFE SENTENCES IMPOSED UPON A SERIAL RAPIS
May 20, 2024
Nelspruit, 15 May 2024** — The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, has commended the sentencing of Given Mnisi (42) to four life terms for his horrific crimes. Mnisi was sentenced by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela on Monday, 13 May 2024.
Mnisi’s crimes, committed between 2010 and 2015, involved the repeated rape of young women in the Nkomazi area. His victims ranged from 13 to 20 years old, and each attack was marked by extreme brutality and threats.
On 1 November 2010, Mnisi raped a 15-year-old girl returning from church, twice attacking her in an unfinished house in Mangweni near Tonga. Another incident on 30 March 2011 involved a 20-year-old woman whom Mnisi attacked while she was returning from a local shop. He threatened her with a firearm, claimed to have killed others who resisted, and raped her after stabbing her.
In 2012, Mnisi attacked a 13-year-old girl playing outside her home, abducting and raping her in a nearby house. That same year, he raped a 16-year-old girl asleep at home with her younger brother and ailing mother. In 2013, he and an accomplice dragged a 15-year-old girl from her home to an unfinished house where he raped her. In 2015, Mnisi raped a 19-year-old woman returning from evening classes, robbing her before the assault.
Mnisi’s final known crime occurred on 29 June 2022 in Germiston, Gauteng, where he raped a 15-year-old girl after deceiving her into consuming a substance that caused her to pass out. This incident led to his arrest on 2 July 2022, and despite being granted bail, ongoing investigations linked him to the previous crimes in Nkomazi.
The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit worked tirelessly to build a strong case against Mnisi. When he appeared in the Germiston Magistrate’s Court in January 2023, he was charged with multiple rapes. He pleaded guilty to the charges on 7 May 2024, leading to his conviction.
The court sentenced Mnisi to life imprisonment on multiple counts of rape, ordering the sentences to run concurrently, effectively ensuring he spends his life behind bars.
Lieutenant General Manamela praised the investigation and prosecution teams for their dedication and thorough work, which led to this significant conviction. “We hope this sentence serves as a deterrent to those committing crimes against vulnerable groups. It is a clear message that there are severe consequences for such heinous acts,” said General Manamela.
