A 46-year-old Pietermaritzburg rapist, Lindani Gcumisa, infamously known as "Uncle Lee" has been sentenced to four terms of life imprisonment for raping four young boys, one as young as nine.
The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court handed down the sentence on April 11, 2025, after Gumisa was found guilty of four counts of rape committed between February and March 2024 at his home in Imbali.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, one of the victims, a 12-year-old boy, was sent to a tuck shop on February 23, 2024, when Gumisa lured him to his room and raped him. After the attack, Gumisa gave the child R5 and told him to keep quiet.
"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," said Netshiunda.
The mother reported the incident the police and the suspect was arrested.
"Thorough police investigations revealed that it was not the first time that 'Uncle Lee' had raped him," said Netshiunda.
The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit uncovered that the same man had also raped the 12-year-old's two friends, aged 10 and 13, as well as a nine-year-old sibling of one of the victims.
Additional cases were opened against him.
KwaZulu-Natal Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, praised the work of the detectives involved, stating that he was impressed by the investigating officers who collected evidence which led to the ultimate conviction.
"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 Mkhwanazi.
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