By SIYA BOYA
Six months after former boxing champion Thabo Sonjica, 27, was convicted of rape, he appears to be using delaying tactics to fend off his sentencing.
Sonjica has dismissed his defence attorney and hired two more in a row which has had the effect of delaying sentencing.
Sonjica was convicted on November 6 last year by magistrate Ignatius Kitching for the rape of a teenager in Duncan Village in 2014 and was remanded on bail of R1000.
The former world champion was meant to be sentenced on February 12 but the matter has been delayed since then.
During his initial bail application the boxer was represented by Ntsikelelo Manyisane.
Sonjica then took up the services of David Butler who represented him throughout the trial.
After the guilty verdict, Sonjica changed his legal representation to Ncumisa Nongogo.
Yesterday Busi Masiso, a candidate attorney at Nongogo’s firm, Malusi Attorneys, appeared before Kitching requesting transcripts of the case.
Yesterday Kitching postponed the matter to August 15.
Assuming Sonjica will keep his case at Malusi Attorneys, they will represent him for the sentencing proceedings.
He was charged after a February 11 2014 incident in which he dragged a girl, aged 16 at the time, into a shack where he forced open her legs and violated her with his fingers.
The court heard that Sonjica and his father went to the girl’s home because “traditionally, such matters can be discussed among the families”.
When called to testify, Sonjica did not deny seeing the girl on the day, and told Kitching he wanted to “grace her with his attention because she had never had it before”.
He said he had changed the direction in which he was walking to walk with her and that he had his arm around her.
When she saw his friends, she shouted that he should let her go.
He told the court the rape charge was a result of jealousy from his Duncan Village community and pleaded not guilty.
After the judgment, his manager Mlandeli Tengimfene of All Winner’s Boxing Club, said they were aware of the conviction but up until he was sentenced it was “business as usual”.
Sonjica last fought in Mdanstane on June 13 last year where he beat Ghanaian George Krampah with a technical knock-out in the seventh round.
Convicted boxer delays sentencing
Six months after former boxing champion Thabo Sonjica, 27, was convicted of rape, he appears to be using delaying tactics to fend off his sentencing.
Sonjica has dismissed his defence attorney and hired two more in a row which has had the effect of delaying sentencing.
Sonjica was convicted on November 6 last year by magistrate Ignatius Kitching for the rape of a teenager in Duncan Village in 2014 and was remanded on bail of R1000.
The former world champion was meant to be sentenced on February 12 but the matter has been delayed since then.
During his initial bail application the boxer was represented by Ntsikelelo Manyisane.
Sonjica then took up the services of David Butler who represented him throughout the trial.
After the guilty verdict, Sonjica changed his legal representation to Ncumisa Nongogo.
Yesterday Busi Masiso, a candidate attorney at Nongogo’s firm, Malusi Attorneys, appeared before Kitching requesting transcripts of the case.
Yesterday Kitching postponed the matter to August 15.
Assuming Sonjica will keep his case at Malusi Attorneys, they will represent him for the sentencing proceedings.
He was charged after a February 11 2014 incident in which he dragged a girl, aged 16 at the time, into a shack where he forced open her legs and violated her with his fingers.
The court heard that Sonjica and his father went to the girl’s home because “traditionally, such matters can be discussed among the families”.
When called to testify, Sonjica did not deny seeing the girl on the day, and told Kitching he wanted to “grace her with his attention because she had never had it before”.
He said he had changed the direction in which he was walking to walk with her and that he had his arm around her.
When she saw his friends, she shouted that he should let her go.
He told the court the rape charge was a result of jealousy from his Duncan Village community and pleaded not guilty.
After the judgment, his manager Mlandeli Tengimfene of All Winner’s Boxing Club, said they were aware of the conviction but up until he was sentenced it was “business as usual”.
Sonjica last fought in Mdanstane on June 13 last year where he beat Ghanaian George Krampah with a technical knock-out in the seventh round.
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