The killing of Constable Francis Rasuge was an ”appalling” crime, Judge Ronald Hendricks told murderer William Nkuna as he sentenced him to life in prison on Thursday.
Nkuna was convicted last month of killing Constable Francis Rasuge, even though her remains have not been found. She was last seen with him outside a hair salon in Temba on August 27 last year.
”I have come to the conclusion that the only fit and proper sentence to be imposed is that of life imprisonment,” Hendricks ruled in Mmabatho Circuit Court, sitting in Ga-Rankuwa.
Neither the evidence submitted in the trial, nor the mitigatory arguments of defence attorney Post Moloto contained anything to persuade him to hand down a lesser sentence.
Nkuna had also not shown any remorse for murdering Rasuge, found Hendricks.
This could be deduced from his unwillingness to reveal where her body was and by his lack of empathy towards her family.
”A person has lost her life at the age of 27 under circumstances not known to the court but known only to you,” Hendricks told Nkuna.
”You went to the salon, killed her and disposed of her body. That is aggravating and appalling.”
Hendricks said the court was obligated to protect life.
”Life has become very cheap. There is an outcry that something must be done to protect women in our society against abuse.”
Hundreds of spectators broke into cheers and song on seeing Nkuna’s sentencing on five television screens outside the court.
As he was led to the cells, African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) members and the public outside the court broke into a Setswana song: ”There is Nkuna ducking and diving. Where is Rasuge’s body?”
They had earlier joined a 300-strong crowd of Police and Public Civil Rights Union (Popcru) members and the public in, among others, songs of support for axed deputy president Jacob Zuma.
In Cape Town, ANCWL members bearing posters of Rasuge outside the city’s high court welcomed news of the sentence with shouts of ”amandla”, and punched their fists in the air.
They also called on Nkuna to come clean about her remains. ”He must bring Rasuge’s bones so that her family can bury her bones with dignity,” said spokesperson, MP Caroline Makasi.
So too did the National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) and National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi — both of whom welcomed his sentence.
The victory for justice and for the Rasuge family was ”a hollow one if the family cannot have the closure of knowing where her remains are”, said NPA spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi.
Said Selebi: ”Nkuna should now salvage the last few tatters of dignity he may have left by making known where Constable Rasuge’s remains can be found.
”Her family deserves to be given the opportunity to bury their beloved Francis and to be able to visit her grave.”
Commending the tenacity and commitment of the investigators and prosecutors in bringing the case to a successful conclusion, Selebi said his trust in the team had never wavered.
The NPA has welcomed Nkuna’s life sentence as a deterrent to anyone thinking of committing a similar crime.
”This sentence shows that even if a body has not been found, if the evidence is strong enough, the guilty party can be put away for life.”
Also welcoming the sentence, the ANC said it would send a strong message to all those who had no regard for life and thought they were above the law.
It was appropriate in that it coincided with the national 16-Days of Activism Against Women Abuse campaign, it said.
The correctional services department will decide where Nkuna serves his sentence. – Sapa