Man sentenced to two life terms for trafficking woman to Malvern brothel

Ask AI 2minIt was established that the victim was lured for prostitution purposes and other occupants were using the premises for prostitution.

A 40-year-old man was sentenced to two life terms after a woman was allegedly lured from Johannesburg, raped and forced into prostitution at a Malvern brothel.

The woman, who was being held against her will, was rescued by Hawks after residents in the Malvern area reported the brothel in September 2022.

Ifeanacho Ifeanyi was sentenced in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on Friday for a string of charges.

His co-accused, Mapule Tshibangila, 35, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

The two were arrested after Hawks members from the Durban Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Economic Protected Resources (EPR) section responded to a complaint of suspicious activities at a property in Hopewell Street, Malvern, on September 5, 2022.

Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said they received the complaint at the Malvern police station. 

He said Hawks members proceeded to the address and found that the premises was being used as a brothel. Six occupants were found in the premises and one female was identified as a victim.

“She was taken to hospital for medical examination and a thorough investigation was conducted. 

“Investigations revealed that the victim was lured by Tshibangila from Johannesburg under false pretence of a legitimate job opportunity in Durban. 

“It was also established that she was raped, assaulted and kept against her own will by the accused,” Mhlongo added.

He said cases of human trafficking and keeping a brothel were opened at the Malvern police station, and during the investigation, more charges were added.

“It was established that the victim was lured for prostitution purposes and other occupants were using the premises for prostitution,” Mhlongo said.

Ifeanacho was sentenced to two life imprisonment terms for rape and human trafficking, three years for kidnapping, five years for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, three years for keeping a brothel, and seven years imprisonment for procurement of female for prostitution.

He was sentenced to three years imprisonment for occupying a premises that permits defilement of females, five years imprisonment for living on earnings of prostitution, five years imprisonment for money laundering and 12 months imprisonment for contravening of Immigration Act. 

Tshibangila was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for human trafficking, three years for kidnapping, 13 years for rape and three years imprisonment for keeping a brothel. 

Their sentences will run concurrently. 

KZN Acting Provincial Head of Hawks, Brigadier Zenobia Mulligan welcomed the sentencing of the accused and applauded the members for the good work.