EL rapist, murderer who led search for 4-year-old girl astray and comforted mom gets two life terms

Nkosinathi Hanabe has been jailed for the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl.
Nkosinathi Hanabe has been jailed for the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl.
Image: 123RF/thawornnurak

A 37-year-old man was on Wednesday sentenced to two life terms by the East London high court for the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl.

Nkosinathi Hanabe killed the little girl at Palana location, Mooiplaas, outside East London in December 2019. Members of the community immediately alerted the local police and K9 after she went missing.​

Police spokesperson Captain Mluleki Mbi said Hanabe joined the local residents and police after a frantic search was launched.

“He kept on comforting the child's mother as he was their neighbour and he kept on diverting the team away from where the girl's body was,” said Mbi.

“The search dog lead the team to the suspect's shack where the little girl's clothing and bedding was recovered with bloodstains. The suspect then pointed out where he had hidden the girl's body.”

The girl's lifeless body was found wrapped in a black refuse bag in the bushes behind Hanabe's shack.

“The victim's family has welcomed the sentence and took solace on the fact that justice was served,” he said.

DispatchLIVE


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