Court awards R1.5m to pensioner after false rape accusation destroys his life

Innocent man spent 505 days in prison

- By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

A 72-year-old Mpumalanga pensioner who spent more than 16 months in jail after being falsely accused of raping a minor has been awarded R1.5-million in damages by the Johannesburg High Court.

The court found his arrest and prolonged detention both unlawful and unjustified.

Mangena Azon Mkhonza, once a respected community businessman, was running a thriving cooked meat business from his home in Marathon Squatter Camp near Germiston when police arrested him without a warrant on March 28, 2019.

He was held in degrading prison conditions until his release on August 14, 2020, after spending 505 days behind bars even though charges had been dropped a month earlier.

Delivering judgment this week, acting judge Robert Thackwell ruled that Mkhonza's arrest on March 28, 2019, was unlawful.

The court found that the arrest was executed by Sergeant Mthunzi Mehlomakulu, whose conduct was sharply criticised.

The police docket revealed that both the complainant and her friend had allegedly been molested by the same man.